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THE MASS AND VESTMENTS
OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
LITURGICAL, DOCTRINAL, HISTORICAL
AND
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
BY THE
Rt. Rev. Monsignor John Walsh
> > >
TROY, NEW YORK
TROY TIMES <*335** ART PRESS
190*)
Nihil obstat
Francis E. Klauder, C. SS. R.
Censor.
Imprimatur
4- Thomas M. A. Burke,
Bishop of Albany.
Die 1, Jan. 1908.
37-*' '£
COPYRIGHT, 1909
• • RT.'REV* $10*ISIGNjOR JOHN WALSH
• • %
« 4 < I
i
TO THE
Rt. Rev. Thomas Martin Aloysius Burke, D. D.
Bishop of Albany, N. Y.,
This Volume
is dedicated as a token of
reverence and affection for the man, the priest,
and the bishop whose qualities of mind
and heart make him the ideal
shepherd of his flock.
CONTENTS
PAGE
Rt. Rev. Bishop Burke's Letter . 9
Author's Preface 11
Cardinal Newman's Summary of
the Mass 17
CHAPTER
I Liturgy in General 21
II Language of the Liturgy ... 31
III Different Kinds of Liturgies . . 34
IV Roman Liturgic Books ... 42
V Liturgic Places 48
VI The Liturgy of the Mass ... 61
VII Sacrifice in General and the Sacri-
fices of the Old Law .... 85
VIII The Mass the Sacrifice of the
New Law 94
IX The Mass 123
X Efficacy and Fruits of the Mass . 156
XI Sacrifice of Impetration for favors
Spiritual and Temporal . . . 175
XII Sacrifice of Propitiation or Sin-
Offering . . . . 178
Contents — Continued
CHAPTER PAGB
XIII Infallibility or Certainty of the
Fruits of the Mass .... 185
XIV Infallibility of the Fruits of Pro-
pitiation 188
XV The Application of the Fruits of
the Mass 193
XVI The Oblata or Offerings for
Masses 205
XVII Where Mass May be Celebrated 233
XVIII Number of Masses to be said
daily 239
XIX Time of Celebrating Mass . . 247
XX The Structure of the Mass . . 259
XXI The Requisites of the Mass, Altar,
Tabernacle 306
XXII Privileged Altar ...... 333
XXIII Altar Cloths, Antependium, Cere-
Cloth, Vesperal 345
XXIV The Chalice and Paten ... 352
XXV Ciborium, Pyx, Ostensorium,
Lunula, Custodia 368
XXVI Reservation of the Sacred Host . 375
XXVII Corporal, Pall, Purificator ... 378
XXVIII Burse, Veil, Finger Towel, Bell,
Gong, Osculatory, Thurible . 384
6
Contents— Continued
CHAPTER PAGE
XXIX The Crucifix 389
XXX Missal, Missal-Stand, Altar Cards 398
XXXI Candles 406
XXXII Bread and Wine 413
XXXIII The Stations 421
XXXIV Sacred Vestments in General . 424
XXXV The Amice 432
XXXVI The Cincture 436
XXXVII The Alb 439
XXXVIII The Maniple ....... 447
XXXIX The Stole 453
XL The Chasuble 464
XLI Color of Vestments 479
XLII Supplementary Vestments, Papal,
Cardinalitial, Archiepiscopal,
Episcopal, Sacerdotal, Diaconal,
Subdiaconal 484
Appendix 521
Index 533
RT. REV. BISHOP BURKE'S LETTER.
M" any excellent works have been written both
in Latin and in the vernacular explanatory
—J of the Liturgy and the ceremonies of the
Church. These works have each its own pecu-
liar merit. As, however, the rubrics and the
ceremonies of the Church are an inexhaustible
subject, this new work, "The Mass and Vest-
ments of the Catholic Church," by Rt. Rev.
Monsignor John Walsh, will not fail to prove
interesting to the Rev. clergy and edifying and
instructive to the Catholic laity.
Many of our non-Catholic brethren, who not
infrequently assist at the celebration of the more
solemn feasts of the Church are deeply impressed
with the beautiful ceremonial, and they are
sincerely desirous of knowing the signification
and meaning of the sacred rites. Hence they seek
information from their Catholic friends. The
work of Monsignor Walsh which is written in a
clear and lucid style, will enable the Catholic
readers to answer all the questions of their non-
Catholic friends intelligently and satisfactorily.
Monsignor Walsh in his work treats of the
history of the Liturgy and of the dogmatic and
symbolic signification of the ceremonies of the
Church. In his work he has embodied all the
recent decisions of the Sacred Congregation of
Rites, hence the work will be a valuable aid to the
Rev. clergy in preparing their instructions on the
rubrics, and it cannot fail to be deeply interesting,
nstructing and edifying to the faithful.
Albany, July 29th, 1908.
+ THOMAS M. A. BURKE,
Bishop of Albany.
AUTHOR'S PREFACE.
s
ometime ago a convert asked me to recommend
a convenient handbook on the Mass and
Vestments, which would aid her in gleaning
information to give response to the various ques-
tions proposed to her by non-Catholic associates.
The remark was made, that this topic was more
and more occupying the attention of non-Catholics
who, interested in its many ceremonial and ritual-
istic phases, sought to be informed as to the signi-
ficancy and names of all the details surrounding
this supreme act of Catholic worship.
This request for a Manual of the Mass and
Vestments was the inspiration of this volume.
When the ground was surveyed for the purpose
of answering the question, the author was sur-
prised to find how meagre and unsatisfactory was
the available material. The best authors are still
concealed, for popular uses, in the Latin and French
tongues. The English books of Devine, Rock and
Gihr are either too voluminous for the average
taste, which seeks condensation and rapid research,
or only deal with special attributes of the subject —
prominently its mystic and devotional aspect.
"O'Brien, On the Mass," for many years deservedly
held a supreme practical place, but in many respects
it has grown obsolete, and in some incorrect. In
11
saying so much, there is no wish to detract from
the author's industry and research, nor to deny
him all praise as the pioneer in a new field, so far
as these labors were presented to American
readers in an English dress.
The sincerity of this recognition of his average
acceptableness is reflected in the frequent refer-
ences to his painstaking work running through
this volume.
The present effort is an attempt to meet the
demand of the hurried laity, and even of the busy
clergy, who may wish to refresh the knowledge
once imbibed from more authoritative sources, no
longer accessible.
For many years the author has been awaiting
a treatise on this subject, which would supply
various omissions, and afford a complete exposition
of its different phases. For example, the state-
ment has been always made that the Mass is a
true sacrifice, and yet there has been lacking a
special chapter on sacrifice and its essential traits,
to demonstrate the truth and reasonableness of
the Catholic contention. There has also been
wanting a detailed analysis of the fruits and
efficacy of the Mass, a subject of paramount
interest surely for all Catholics. The subject was
either ignored, or dealt with under cover of broad
generalities by the majority of professed theo-
logians. The complexity of the subject perhaps
was the bar to a close grapple with it. Under the
12
guidance of His Grace, the present Archbishop of
Dublin, and those commanding figures in theologi-
cal science — De Lugo, Suarez and Vasquez — an
attempt has been made to unravel its tangled web,
and although no labor has been slighted to
simplify it and make it intelligible, the author
freely acknowledges its transparency is not what
he would desire, nor has it yet been adjusted to
the level of the average reader. An honest effort,
however, has been made, without shirking any of
its difficulties to solve it, and if failure is to be the
verdict, the sentence should not fall on the inten-
tion, but on its execution.
The section devoted to the Vestments may
awaken interest and reflection, even though it
may not win approval. The more popular and
facile procedure has been to trace the Christian
liturgic garments to a Hebrew ancestry, following
the leadership of its first expositor, Rabanus
Maurus. With a few exceptions, the truer method
seems to be to ascribe them to a classic origin —
the primitive types being the everyday dress of
the Roman and Greek citizen. Starting with this
principle, the older forms are described, authorities
cited, probabilities weighed, newer developments
and transformations recorded, and a note made of
the Papal and conciliar decrees which fixed their
status as ecclesiastical vesture.
The hope is entertained that the chapter on
Liturgy and the various forms it assumes may not
13
be considered academic, as if the exclusive pre-
serve of only professional liturgists. In all
questions pertaining to the structure of the Mass
it lies at the root of their solving. To many it is
a matter of surprise to learn that the Mass is not
always offered under a uniform formula or rite.
Not only do East and West differ from each other,
both also present peculiar and distinct varieties of
the same solemn function within their respective
boundaries. Whilst this is true of the contem-
porary East and West, the number of such
formulae has been reduced to a minimum in the
Western Church, where the dominion of Rome has
been exerted in the direction of every attainable
uniformity. The result of this supervision has been
the elimination of the great Gallic rite under King
Pepin, and of others, either for their total extinc-
tion or limitation during the years coincident
with, and subsequent to the Council of Trent.
This subject of Liturgy, including origin, sphere
of influence and specific kinds, is interesting for
the reason that it is a theme of only comparatively
modern research. Prior to the sixteenth century,
when the Liturgies of SS. Basil, Chrysostom,
James and Mark, and others of Eastern ancestry
were first printed, the data were wanting for
even a restricted investigation and comparison.
The first to illumine the Greek Liturgies was
Goar in his treatise on the Euchologium published
in the middle of the seventeenth century. In the
14
preceding century, Pamelius edited the Liturgy of
Pope Gregory the Great, with notes by Menard.
Then followed Thomasius with the Sacramentary
of Pope Gelasius, and Gavanti, Bona, Le Brun,
Martene and Muratori who discoursed on the
Roman Liturgy. Toward the close of the seven-
teenth century, Bona, Thomasius and Mabillon
rescued the Gallican Liturgy, long since obsolete
and unused, from oblivion. In the eighteenth
century the Roman Sacramentary of Pope Leo the
Great was discovered. In the early part of the
eighteenth, Renaudot revealed valuable informa-
tion of the Liturgies of Alexandria and Antioch,
hitherto almost entirely unknown.
Thus it was not until the eighteenth century
that liturgic material was supplied in such
abundance as to enable the student of Liturgies
to form a comprehensive and intelligent view of
his subject.
By travel, observation, research and an indus-
trious comparison of authorities when their dicta
varied, the author's ambition has been to attain the
goal of accuracy. There is no need to remind him
that this claim to accuracy is only relative. In a
field so extensive and prolific in data, absolute exact-
ness would be the highest and rarest achievement.
For the catechetical form in which the book is
cast he has no apologies to offer. Some candid
critics advised another form akin to the average
book. Were he seeking an easy task he would
15
have followed the exemplars of his predecessors.
Oftentimes the construction and differentiations
of questions cost him more thought and labor than
their answers. Whilst the answers were sometimes
familiar and always accessible, the questionnaire
was a new venture which demanded constant dis-
crimination to bring forth the desired information.
With perhaps too sanguine expectancy, he was
persuaded to the adoption of the question form
by, first of all, the hope the book might some day
be honored with acceptance as a class book for
advanced pupils in our Catholic schools, and
secondly, with the purpose of giving definiteness
and precision to its contents.
A book of solid text for the ordinary reader is
a pathless jungle. The book whose page is broken
into paragraphs is like the forest path with its
trees blazed into well-defined trails. The book
intersected with question and answer is the open
country and the sure highway where the traveller
may always get his bearings.
For purposes of verification by reference and
more extensive reading, a bibliography is appended
to many of the chapters which may serve to
widen the reader's acquaintance with specialists,
who have dealt more extensively with the topics
under survey.
St. Peter's Rectory,
Feast of All Saints,
1908.
16
CARDINAL NEWMAN'S SUMMARY
OF THE MASS.
T~7|o me nothing is so consoling, so piercing, so
thrilling, so overcoming as the Mass said as
*— » it is among us. I could attend Masses for-
ever and not be tired. It is not a mere form of
words,— it is a great action, the greatest action
that can be on earth. It is not the invocation
merely, but if I dare use the word, the evocation
of the Eternal. He becomes present on the altar
in flesh and blood, before whom angels bow and
devils tremble. This is that awful event which is
the scope and the interpretation of every part of
the solemnity. Words are necessary, but as means
not as ends; they are not mere addresses to the
throne of grace, they are the instruments of what
is far higher, of consecration, of sacrifice. They
hurry on as if impatient to fulfill their mission.
Quickly they go, the whole is quick; for they are
all parts of one integral action. Quickly they go;
for they are awful words of sacrifice, they are a
work too great to delay upon; as when it was said
in the beginning: "What thou doest, do quickly."
Quickly they pass; for the Lord Jesus goes with
them as He passed along the lake in the days of
His flesh, quickly calling first one and then
another. Quickly they pass; because as the light-
17
ning which shineth from one part of the heaven
unto the other, so is the coming of the Son of
Man. Quickly they pass; for they are as the
wort's of Moses when the Lord came down in the
cloud, calling on the name of the Lord as He
passed by "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and
gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness
and truth." And as Moses on the mountain, so
we too "make haste and bow our heads to the
earth and adore." So we all around, each in his
place look out for the great Advent, "waiting for
the moving of the water." Each in his place,
with his own heart, with his own wants, with his
own thoughts, with his own intentions, with his
own prayers, separate but concordant, watching
what is going on, watching its progress, uniting
in its consummation; not painfully and hope-
lessly following a hard form of prayer from
beginning to end, but like a concert of musical
instruments, each different but concurring in a
sweet harmony, we take our part with God's
priest supporting him yet guided by him. There
are little children there and old men and simple
laborers and students in seminaries, priests pre-
paring for Mass, priests making their thanks-
giving; there are innocent maidens and there are
penitent sinners; but out of these many minds
rises one Eucharistic hymn, and the great Action
is the measure and the scope of it."
Cardinal Newman.
18
CHAPTER I.
LITURGY IN GENERAL.
What is the meaning of the word Liturgy?
It is derived from two Greek words and signi-
fies a public ministry or work.
What is its ecclesiastical significancy?
It is the harmony and uniformity of the cere-
monies and rites regulating and defining public
worship.
What is understood by vublic worship?
The honor and praise given to God in the name
and by the authority of the Church.
Is all religious worship publicly offered a
part of public worship?
No. It is necessary to distinguish between
religious acts performed by the faithful under the
individual impulse of pious inspirations, and the
individual, or collective acts prescribed by the
Church and done in her name. The former are
acts of private devotion or worship; the latter
only of public worship that appertain to Liturgy.
Is not this interior private worship of God
sufficient for Christians?
Although modern error maintains its compe-
tency, it is neither sufficient for the individual
22 The Mass and Vestments
nor God. The individual instinct craves exterior
worship, and the sum of worship due God is
obtained only by public worship.
What are the motives of this necessity oj
public worship?
Four:
(a) Human nature demands it. We are not
like the angels, pure spirits. We are both body
and soul. This duality is the work of God. The
two should honor God; the soul by interior wor-
ship, and the body united to the soul by exterior,
public worship.
(b) There is an irresistible instinct to show
forth by exterior signs that which our soul feels
and approves interiorly. This is true of joy, fear,
suffering, etc. It is also true of religious senti-
ments. Hence the Psalmist says, "My heart and
my flesh have trembled in the presence of the
living God."
(c ) Sensible objects and instruments are often
necessary to quicken the sentiments and energy
of the soul. Thus, exterior devotions contribute
efficiently to excite to the worship of God and the
performance of our religious duties. A neglect of
them results in laxity and indifference.
(d) Those who refuse to pay public homage to
God are not consistent. When they honor human
celebrities they are not content with mere ad-
miration inwardly expressed, but sound their
praises and glorify them by word in literature,
Liturgy in General 23
sculpture and the pomp of worldly fetes. If
creatures are thus fittingly honored, why should
we be restrained from the completeness of God's
homage by public and external worship?
Is not then private, exterior worship suf-
ficient?
It is not, for the reason, that the individual is
neither isolated, nor is he absorbed in the com-
monwealth. He is also a member of a divinely
constituted society called the Church, and as such
is bound to render God a social and public service.
This united homage becomes a bond of unity and
Christian comradeship between the faithful, and a
source of mutual edification.
What are the advantages of this Liturgy?
They pertain to:
1. Individuals.
2. Society.
3. Theology.
4. The Arts.
How does the Liturgy affect individuals?
It imprints the seal of nobility on the body
through the sacraments; it illumines the soul by a
presentation of the principal mysteries under an
embodiment of external forms, and thus becomes
a universal and popular instruction accessible to
all men, whether uneducated or educated; it in-
spires the heart by the ineffable unction of the
liturgic text, and the chant and ceremonies.
24 The Mass and Vestments
How does it react on society?
It is a bond of fraternal union between men,
convening them in the same religious assemblies,
and uniting them, by the mutual proffer of prayers
and suffrages, as becoming the children of the
same heavenly Father and the brethren of Christ.
What is the relation of Liturgy to Theology?
The Church has uniformly taught through her
doctors and theologians that the Roman Liturgy
is the pure expression of her doctrine. For
example, Pope Celestine appealed to the Liturgy
as an unanswerable refutation of the error of the
Pelagians, denying the necessity of divine grace,
and said: "The standard of prayer determines the
standard of belief."
St. Augustine also proved the same theme by
saying:
"The Church does not need to recur to long
discussions; what we believe is found in our daily
prayers." Leo XIII expresses the same thought
in his Encyclical to the Oriental bishops. Whilst
therefore Liturgy cannot supplant Theology, it
should be considered a locus theologicus, or a
source from which theologians may draw proofs
in favor of the verity of the truths which belong
to Catholic faith.
What bearing has Liturgy on the Arts?
It has encouraged and developed them, because
the Church, through her Liturgy, has employed
Liturgy in General 25
the choicest products of nature and human taste
and industry, and appealed to the many-sided
genius of men.
Give definite instances of this encourage-
ment?
In architecture, by the number, splendor, variety
and costliness of the churches. In sculpture, paint-
ing, printing, plain chant, music, carving, mosaics,
rich fabrics and in the handiwork of the gold-
workers and bell-makers the influence of the
Liturgy has been potent and inspiring, because, on
altar, window, sidewall, sacristy, baptistry and
tower, the Church has a place for their master-
pieces.
What is the origin of the Liturgy?
It has a Christian origin in its Christian adap-
tation, and as an element of universal worship, it
began when men developed and systematized their
practice of public worship.
Does it not owe something to Judaism?
It is indebted to Judaism for the form of its
primitive assemblies and the formula of its
prayers in the sacred books of the Old Testament,
such as the psalms, canticles and prophecies.
How does it differ from the Jewish Liturgy?
(a) By the disavowal and rejection of circum-
cision which is fundamental to Judaism.
26 The Mass and Vestments
(b) By the institution of Baptism and Holy
Orders, wherein by the imposition of hands the
Holy Spirit is imparted.
( c ) By the creation of the Mass or Eucharistic
Sacrifice which is the nucleus and centre of all
Liturgy.
id) By the appointment of special Christian
feasts which supersede the Jewish feasts, and by
the substitution of Churches and, in the begin-
ning, private houses where the first Christians met
for prayer, exhortation and the breaking of bread,
for the Temple of Jerusalem which was the
centre of Jewish worship.
Did not the early Church adopt some ele-
ments of the Liturgy from the pagans'?
There are some ceremonies in the Liturgy
whose outlines may be discerned among pagans.
Pagan temples were rarely converted into Christian
churches, and pagan feasts transformed into
Christian feasts. By the adoption and consecra-
tion of these pagan rites to the service of the
true God they were shorn of their pagan signifi-
cancy.
Liturgy was defined "as the harmony and
uniformity of ceremonies and rites regulating
and defining public worship^ What is cere-
mony?
Ceremony is the visible and external action
of worship fixed and determined to secure^ uni-
Liturgy in General 27
formity. It includes both the essentials and
accidentals of that action.
What is a Rite?
Rite, from the Latin recte, an act performed
according to rule, has various significations.
Sometimes it is synonomous with Liturgy as, for
example, a Roman rite is the same as Roman
Liturgy. Again, it designates a particular cere-
mony, as the rite of the blessing of water. More
commonly it signifies the manner according to
which a ceremony is to be performed.
What is the meaning of Rubrics?
The rules which govern the exterior action of
public worship, as for example, the time, place and
manner of observing the rites and ceremonies
appointed by ecclesiastical authority.
How is the ivord derived?
From the Latin rubrica, a red earth or chalk,
with which the ancient Romans wrote the titles
of their laws on the monuments. From the title
the name Rubric was applied to the law itself.
Later the Church wrote her liturgic laws also in
red.
Where are these Rubrics found?
In the liturgic books which include, with the
ministries of worship, the rules according to which
the sacred functions must be performed.
28 The Mass and Vestments
How are Rubrics divided?
Into:
1. Essential and accidental.
2. Preceptive and directive.
What are essential Rubrics?
They are those without which the sacred func-
tion is non-existent or invalid, as, for example, the
rubrics which prescribe the consecration in the
Mass.
What are accidental Rubrics?
Those without which the sacred function will
exist, as, for instance, the rubrics which prescribe
inclinations and the sign of the cross.
What are preceptive Rubrics?
Those which oblige under the penalty of mortal
or venial sin, as the thing enjoined is grave or
of minor importance, as, for example, the pro-
hibition to add or subtract anything from the
celebration of Mass.
What are directive Rubrics?
Those which merely give counsel or advice, but
are not obligatory under pain of sin, like the
prayers to be said, according to the priest's con-
venience, before Mass.
Who alone in the Church has supreme power
over Liturgy?
This power belongs alone to the sovereign Pontiff.
Liturgy in General 29
Give some instances of the exercise of this
control?
Pope Saint Sixtus (119) ordained that sacred
ministers alone be permitted to touch sacred ves-
sels, and confirmed the chanting of the Sanctus
in the Mass.
Pope Saint Victor I. ( 193 ) decreed that Easter
must be celebrated on Sunday.
Pope Saint Felix (269) recommended that
Mass be offered on the tombs of the martyrs.
Pope Sylvester ( 314 ) ordained that Mass must
be celebrated on a linen cloth, that the deacon wear
a dalmatic, and he also issued regulations on the
consecration of the holy chrism, and supplying the
ceremonies of baptism for those baptized in sick-
ness.
In the succeeding centuries, Leo the Great,
Gelasms and Gregory the Great enlarged the con-
tent of the Liturgy.
What is the nature oj this Papal power over
Liturgy?
It is supreme and worldwide. It extends to all
Catholics — to all Churches under Roman dominion,
and to all matters appropriate to public worship,
such as: the rites and ceremonies of Mass and of
the divine office; the administration of the sacra-
ments; liturgic books; the canonization of saints;
the institution of feasts, etc.
30 The Mass and Vestments
How does the Pope ordinarily exercise this
power?
Through the Sacred Congregation of Rites,
composed of cardinals and consultors, on whom it
is incumbent to require that a uniformity of
Roman rites shall exist in all churches of Roman
communion.
Have bishops any poiver over the Liturgy?
The bishops, being the pastors and guides of
their respective dioceses, have a specific power over
the Liturgy. That control is however limited and
dependant.
What can they do in matters Liturgic?
They can authorize and appoint solemn votive
Masses, exposition and benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament, prayers at Mass and processions, bless
and consecrate churches, and examine liturgic and
doctrinal books printed in their diocese.
In what is their control limited and depen-
dant?
A bishop cannot create a special Liturgy. He is
obliged to accept and use the liturgic books,
missal, ritual and others published by the Holy
See. He cannot add to the offices of the saints,
nor change even the calendar of his own diocese.
He can neither establish nor suppress feasts of
obligation. He cannot be a judge to solve doubts
relative to rites and ceremonies with finality.
CHAPTER II.
LANGUAGE OF THE LITURGY.
In the beginning was not the Liturgy in the
vernacular of each country?
It was embodied at least in the principal lan-
guages then spoken.
What tvas the advantage of this practice?
The faithful had a clear understanding of the
prayers expressed in their language, and could
participate in the rites and ceremonies with edifi-
cation and attention.
Why did this practice cease notwithstanding
its advantages?
(a) Because after a specific period, sooner in
the East than West, the liturgic text became
slowly fixed and determined in these ancient lan-
guages, to which succeeded in time a vast variety
of new dialects. The Church could not adopt
these vulgar tongues, because they were constantly
changing and demanding new translations, which
imperfectly conveyed the sense and beauty of the
primitive texts, and lending themselves to the
peril of endless errors.
(b) By adhering to the ancient text the
Church more securely preserved the unity and
perpetuity of the Catholic faith. A variety .'of
32 The Mass and Vestments
tongues in the public worship of the Church has
always been favorable to heresies and schisms, a
fact attested by the history of the Eastern
Church, and the behavior of heresiarchs who
launched their errors under cover of the novelties
of spoken speech.
(c) The employment of the ancient languages
in the Liturgy preserved the dignity and majesty
of the sacred ministry of the Church. Whilst the
primitive tongue had its perfect, sharply defined
idioms, venerable by their beauty and antiquity —
the newer vulgar speech was often devoid of
nobleness, and replete with trivialities which ill-
assorted with the majesty and impressiveness of
divine worship.
WJiat are the elements of the Latin language
in use in the Church?
It is distinguished by its precision, vigor, nobility
and clearness.
Why is the Latin used in the Roman Liturgy?
(a) Because of its qualities above enumerated.
(b ) Because it is a principle of unity between
peoples otherwise differing in language and nation-
ality. By it they may assist in various countries
at the offices of divine worship, not only with the
same rites, but also with the same formula of
prayers.
(c) Because the Latin is the language of the
ancient Church and of its Fathers and Doctors,
Language of the Liturgy 33
and thus its usage brings the inheritance of a
splendid Christian literature, and establishes a bond
with the Church of the first and later ages.
How is the inconvenience of an unknown
tongue obviated?
By the injunction constraining priests to instruct
the faithful on the meaning and purpose of the
various phases of the Liturgy, and the authorized
permission, under Episcopal supervision, to issue
translations in everyday speech of the liturgic
books.
CHAPTER III.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF LITURGIES.
How are Liturgies divided?
Into Eastern and Western Liturgies.
How many are the Eastern Liturgies?
Four: Greek, Syrian, Armenian and Coptic.
What is the Greek rite?
The rite followed by those Churches which
accepted Constantinople as their pattern.
How many other Liturgies does the Greek
include?
Three: Of the Presanctifled, followed on the
fast days of Lent; of St. Basil, followed on these
ten days of the year: the Vigils of Christmas and
Epiphany, January 1, the Greek feast day of St.
Basil, five Sundays of Lent, Holy Thursday and
Holy Saturday; of St. Chrysostom, used every
other day of the year.
What was the language of the Greek
Liturgy?
Primitively it was Greek. Now it is translated
into Georgian, Slavonic, Arabic and Roumanian.
What is the Syrian rite?
The rite of the races which occupied ancient
Aramaea, or Syria and Mesopotamia and were sub-
ject to the patriarch of Antioch.
Different Kinds of Liturgies 35
Hoiv many groups of Christians use the
Syrian Liturgy?
Three:
1. The Chaldeans whose liturgic language is
the Syro-Chaldaic.
2. The Syrians whose Liturgy is in the Syriac
tongue.
3. The Maronites who employ the Syriac in
their rites, but whose Liturgy has been modified
and made to approximate in many particulars to
the Roman.
What is the Armenian rite?
The exclusive rite of the Armenians.
What is peculiar to the Armenian rite?
In contrast with the other Oriental rites which
include a variety of Mass formulas or Ordinaries,
the Armenian has only one, and therefore it pos-
sesses a distinctive liturgic unity.
What is the source of the Armenian rite?
Its source is predominantly Greek, to which it is
allied by many resemblances. The Armenians
attribute it to St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom and
St. Athanasius.
What is the Coptic rite?
The rite in the Coptic language of the people
of the same name in Egypt.
Hoiv many other rites does it comprehend?
Three: That ascribed to St. Cyril or St. Mark,
36 The Mass and Vestments
the rite of St. Basil and the rite of St. Gregory,
the Theologian.
What other rite is kindred to it?
That of the Abyssinians, written in the Geez
language and including twelve different varieties.
Are these Oriental Liturgies derived from a
multiple or single source?
In the absence of documentary proof, their con-
struction presupposes a uniform origin and a
primitive identity contemporary with the Apostolic
age. The same rites, like the imposition of hands,
the blessing of a priest, the kiss of peace, baptism
and the Eucharist are common to all. The iden-
tity of the Mass in the various formulas is also
established by the lections and chants in the first
part, and the Preface, the Consecration, the pray-
ers of the Canon and the Communion in the
second.
According to a tradition permanent in the
Oriental Churches who was the author of this
parent Liturgy?
St. James, the Apostle and the first bishop of
Jerusalem.
What are the Western Liturgies?
The Western or Occidental Liturgies are those
followed in countries whose speech or origin was
Latin or Roman.
Different Kinds of Liturgies 37
What are these Liturgies?
The Roman, Ambrosian, Gallican, Mozarabic and
Celtic.
What is the Roman?
The Liturgy in vogue in the Church of Rome,
and believed to be partly the parent and font of
all the other Western rites.
Is the primitive Roman rite still in use?
Its substantial features may still be seen in the
actual Roman Liturgy. It is also true that there
was an epoch when it borrowed many details from
the other Liturgies, and especially the Gallican.
What are the most ancient documents of the
Roman rite?
The Leonian, Gregorian and Gelasian Sacra-
mentaries, the Roll of Ravena, and the Ordines
Romani. The Gregorian and Gelasian Sacra-
mentaries show traces of Gallican meddling, and
give evidence of interpolations which are foreign
to Rome. There is also absence of accord be-
tween the Roll of Ravenna and the Ordines Romani
and the Roman rite, as known from other sources.
The Leonian Sacramentary is the most distinctly
and purely Roman of them all.
What is the Leonian Sacramentary?
It is a collection of prayers and prefaces of the
Mass for the entire year, nine months of which
38 The Mass and Vestments
are extant in the Verona manuscript, and an
anthology of liturgic extracts constituting a
primitive Missal.
To tvhat age is it attributed?
To the middle of the fifth century. Its author
however cannot be identified with certainty.
What is the character of the Roman rite as
demonstrated by these documents?
It is sober, practical, grave and dignified. The
Mass in particular is remarkable for its simplicity.
The poetic, dramatic and spectacular elements like
the blessing of ashes and palm branches, the pro-
cession of lighted candles on the Purification, the
touching and suggestive ceremonies of Good
Friday and Holy Saturday, and other analagous
rites are not found in the ancient Roman Liturgy,
and are therefore importations from other
Liturgies.
What is the Ambrosian rite?
The rite followed by the Church of Milan, and
so named from St. Ambrose, the most illustrious
of its bishops, not because he was its author, as
it really antedated him, but because he enriched it
with many prayers and hymns and introduced the
custom of chanting the psalms alternately.
What are its general features?
In essentials it resembles the Roman rite, but
in details it approaches the Gallican and Mozarabic
Liturgy.
Different Kinds of Liturgies 39
Was its usage in Milan unopposed?
Charlemagne and Pope Nicholas II., in the
eleventh century, and Eugene IV., in the fifteenth
tried to substitute the Roman rite for it, but the
Milanese refused to accept it and Rome refrained
from coercion.
What is the Gallican rite?
The rite prevailing in Gaul ( France ) until the
middle of the eighth century.
Hoiv did it differ from the Roman Rite?
Instead of the sobriety of the Roman Liturgy,
it was characterized by a showy prolixity and an
immoderate fondness for antithesis in its prayers
and ejaculations.
Hotv did it cease in France?
It was abolished by King Pepin, father of
Charlemagne, at the solicitation of Pope Stephen
II., who promised to crown him in France if he
would impose the Roman rite on the churches
subject to him. Charlemagne also confirmed and
continued this liturgic change.
What is the Mozarabic rite?
The ancient Liturgy followed in Spain, also
called Gothic.
What is its origin?
'It is a combination of the primitive Spanish rite
and the rite which the conquering Goths brought
40 The Mass and Vestments
with them. Having been constructed in the
golden Church era of Spain and by such illustrious
doctors and saints as Isidore, Ildephonsus, Leander,
Eugene and Julian, it is penetrated with a pro-
found theology and illumined with an abundance
of Patristic learning.
How long did it prevail in the Spanish
Church?
Until the year 1080, when it was partially suc-
ceeded by the Roman rite at the instance of Popes
Alexander II., Urban II., and Gregory VII.
Has it entirely disappeared from Spain?
Spanish adherence to the Mozarabic rite never
yielded entirely to Papal commands, and at the
beginning of the sixteenth century the famous
Cardinal Ximenes reconstructed its debris into a
modified rite, still predominantly Mozarabic, and
obtained permission from the Holy See to follow
it in the Cathedral of Toledo, and seven other
churches in Toledo and Salamanca.
What is the Celtic rite?
The formula of public worship among the Celts
of Ireland and Britain, and moderately adopted
by the Anglo-Saxons. In its structure it approxi-
mated the Gallican and Mozarabic rites, and was dis-
tinguished from these by the peculiar personal
character of its prayers.
Different Kinds of Liturgies 41
What is the contemporary status of all these
Liturgies?
By decrees of Pius IX., and Leo XIII. , the Ori-
ental Liturgies are legitimately celebrated in their
respective churches, and explicit assurance given
them that the Eastern Church will be guaranteed
for all time the enjoyment of its special rites.
In the Western Church, the unremitting efforts
of the Holy See have tended toward liturgic uni-
formity by the imposition of the Roman rite
and, barring the rare exceptions noted, it is in
general usage.
CHAPTER IV.
ROMAN LITURGIC BOOKS.
Where are the rules and formulas of prayers
of the Liturgy contained?
In the liturgic books, which are six:
The Missal.
The Breviary.
The Ritual.
The Martyrology.
The Pontifical.
The Ceremonial of Bishops.
What is the Missal?
The Missal or Mass-Book, from Missa (Mass)
contains the rubrics, prayers and titles of Masses
for the entire year. Its place is primary among
the liturgic books.
By whom ivas it published?
The Roman Missal having been carefully cor-
rected in obedience to a Tridentine decree was
definitely published by Urban VIII., in 1634.
What is the Breviary?
The Breviary, from Breviarium ( an abridge-
ment or epitome ) contains all the prayers of the
Divine Office which all those in Sacred Orders, Sub-
deacons, Deacons, Priests and Bishops are obliged,
unless dispensed, to recite every day in the name
of the Church.
Roman Liturgic Books 43
Of what is the Breviary an Epitome?
For many centuries the Divine Office was longer
than at present and divided between a number of
books, as for instance, the Psalter, Antiphonary,
Homilary, Legendary and Passional, and our
present Breviary is a consolidation and abbrevia-
tion of these books and their prayers, homilies,
psalms, etc.
By whom was it published?
It was first published in 1568 by St. Pius V.,
corrected in 1602 by Clement VIII. , and finally re-
viewed and amended by Urban VIII., in 1631.
How many parts or divisions does the
Breviary comprise?
Four: Corresponding to the four seasons of the
year.
What does each part contain?
1. The Psalter adjusted to each day of the week
and the regular offices.
2. Extracts from the Scriptures and homilies of
the Fathers and Doctors.
3. Biography of saints and special offices.
4. Prayers, psalms and lections common to the
saints.
5. Votive offices for each day of the week.
6. Various prayers.
7. A supplement of offices for certain localities.
44 The Mass and Vestments
What is the Ritual?
The Ritual, from ritus, (ceremony) contains
the regulations to be observed by a priest in the
conferring of such sacraments and in the per-
formance of such functions as fall within his
competency; also the prayers to be recited in his
diverse ministry. An appendix gives the Bless-
ings and Instructions approved by the Holy See.
By whom was it published?
It was corrected by order of Paul V., and pub-
lished in 1614. It was further reformed by
Benedict XIV., and published in 1752.
What is the Martyrology?
It is the Book of Martyrs which contains the
names, biographies and eulogies of the saints
which the Church honors every day of the year.
By whom was it published?
Its origin is very ancient. It was successively
published after necessary corrections by Gregory
XIII., in 1584, and again by Popes Sixtus V.,
Urban VIII., Clement X., and Benedict XIV.
When is it read?
The Martyrology, which may be called the
official calendar of the Christian year, is read each
day in the solemn or choral recitation of the
Office after the first prayer of Prime.
Roman Liturgic Books 45
What is the Pontifical?
The Pontifical, from vontifex, (pontiff or bis-
hop) contains the consecrations, blessings and
other functions reserved to bishops, as the conse-
cration of altars, the holy oils, churches, chalices,
and the administration of the sacraments of Con-
firmation and Holy Orders.
By whom was it published?
The first edition was published by Clement
VIII., in 1596, and the last by Benedict XIV., in
1752.
What is the Ceremonial of Bishops?
A book which contains the ceremonies to be
observed by the highest prelates and their attend-
ants in Cathedrals, Metropolitan, Collegiate and
great churches at Pontifical Mass, Vespers, the
Divine Office, Requiem services and special feasts.
By whom was it published?
By Clement VIII., in 1600. It was then revised
by various Popes and finally issued by Benedict
XIV., in 1752.
What other liturgic books are sometimes
used?
1. A Memorial of Rites, or a Ceremonial which
is a supplement to the Missal, and gives in the
vernacular a detailed order to be followed in a
variety of functions and in different churches.
46 The Mass and Vestments
2. Octavary, or book of Roman octaves of
feasts for those who have not the office ordinary
of the Breviary.
3. Diurnal or compendium of the Breviary.
4. Graduale and Antiphonary containing the
chant of the Mass and Office.
5. Paroissien or Missal for the laity, comprising
extracts from the Missal and Breviary for the use
of the faithful.
What were the ancient liturgic books?
• The Sacramentary, Evangelary, Epistolary, Leg-
endary, Psalter, Passional, Baptistery, Penitential
Canons, Processional, Roman Orders, Benediction-
ary and the Diurnal of the Popes.
What are the liturgic books now used by
those who follow the Greek or Constantinople
rite?
1. Anagnosis or lectionary.
2. Diaconicon for the use of deacons.
3. Agiasmos for the solemn blessing of water.
4. Anthologion, containing the offices of Our
Lord, the Blessed Virgin and the Saints.
5. Eucologion or ritual.
6. Liturgicon embodying the three Liturgies of
St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom and of the Pre-
sanctified.
7. Typicon or Ordo of offices.
Roman Liturgic Books 47
8. Pentecostarion for the Office from Easter
until the Octave of Pentecost.
9. Hymnologion or collection of hymns.
10. Menaehon for the offices of Saints.
11. Menologe or Marty rology.
CHAPTER V.
LITURGIC PLACES.
What is a liturgic place?
A place blessed or consecrated, or simply des-
tined for some function of worship.
Enumerate the special liturgic places?
1. Sacred edifices, churches or oratories.
2. Crypts.
3. Sacristies.
4. Cemeteries.
Are buildings especially blessed for public,
worship necessary?
Yes, even though God fills all space by His im-
mensity and may be worshipped in any place.
The custom of all religions has been to localize
God and the worship due him. This custom
encourages respect and reverence for God and
holy things, secures calm and recollection, the
essentials of worship, and a direct appeal to
devotion. For the most of mankind, the uni-
verse or temple of nature with all its magnificence
will never speak so directly to the heart as the
humble village church.
What are those consecrated places called?
In English, Churches, from the German Kirche,
and Greek Kyriakos (of the Lord), and in the
Liturgic Places 49
Latin, Ecclesia (an assembly or congregation),
which in time was transferred to the place of
assemblage. They are also called Domus Dei
(House of God), for the double reason of affec-
tionate reverence and a belief in the Real Presence
of the Eucharist. The name temple was repug-
nant to the early Christians, as hinting of pagan-
ism and was never used except with the prefix
"holy" or "sacred."
What was the first Christian Church?
The Cenacle or supper room where Christ cele-
brated the Pasch with his Apostles and instituted
the holy Eucharist.
Where was the first Christian worship held?
In ordinary houses of the period which con-
structively were adapted to Christian worship, or
rather to all the services of a Christian com-
munity.
What was their construction?
They had entrance from the public road, a
courtyard surrounded by a colonnade (atrium),
and at the back another court, bath-room, living
rooms, cellars and offices of all kinds arranged
around the inside courts. This sort of building
could be readily adjusted to the three components
of a Christian assemblage, the faithful, the cate-
chumens and the penitents, besides providing a
dwelling for the bishop and his clergy, a deposi-
50 The Mass and Vestments
tory for papers, books and sacred vessels and a
storehouse for clothing, bedding and provisions
for the poor and strangers. This Domus Eccles-
ise (house of the Church) in those early days
was a complex institution, being at the same
time a church, episcopal residence, refectory, dis-
pensary and an almshouse.
The place of worship in it assumed a special
dignity and reverence. The other parts came
gradually to be detached from it, and never
shared its sacred character. The Domus Eccles-
ise became the Domus Dei (Home of God), the
place where Christians met the Lord — the Domi-
nicum therefore in Latin and Kyriakon in
Greek.
When were Churches dedicated?
Immediately after the persecution of Diocletian
we have notices of such dedications. The earliest
was that of Tyre in 314, described by Eusebius,
who also having been the preacher inserts the
sermon of the occasion in his history.
Besides these urban churches, where did the
early Christians meet for worship?
In cemeteries, in the catacombs, and over the
tombs of martyrs. These cemetery chapels were
used for funeral services, Masses, anniversaries
and for the funeral agape (love ) or love-feasts
of the primitive Christians. Especially popular
were the graves of the martyrs. To shelter the
Liturgic Places 51
crowds praying at these shrines and to honor the
heroes of the faith, edifices of exceptional size and
costliness were erected. If they did not enshrine
the actual tomb the relics were borne to them with
solemn ceremonial. This was a second triumphal
interment — a depositio.
In the beginning, this type of church was scarce
when limited to those constructed over the veri-
table tombs, because the cult and memory of such
martyrs was relatively few in number. Later, by
a ritualistic fiction and a devotional ingenuity it
came to be recognized that a single martyr could
have many tombs. Any relic whatever — a piece
of linen saturated with his blood, a bit of a pall
covering his sarcophagus, a modicum of oil from
the lamps in his sanctuary would represent him,
and the possession of any of these objects would
be equivalent to the interment of his body. In this
way representative tombs could be indefinitely
multiplied, and soon the churches with relics out-
numbered the others, and as their superior prestige
was confessed and accepted, it became a general
custom to insert relics in the altar of every church.
When these were not available, portions of the
Gospel and even consecrated Hosts were used as
substitutes.
What are the Catacombs?
They are extended subterranean galleries form-
ing a labyrinth of tortuous ways, low down and
52 The Mass and Vestments
narrow, often of various floors superimposed,
underlying the city, but oftener under the out-
skirts, and with a number of distinct approaches
and exits.
How did they serve the early Christians?
In the age of persecution they offered a provi-
dential asylum where they escaped the blood-
thirsty fury of the pagans, where they were able
to assemble the faithful for worship and instruc-
tion, and they also provided a burial place for
their dead, and notably for their sainted martyrs.
In the age of peace how did Christian piety
signalize itself?
By an enthusiastic ardor for the construction
of churches. Constantine and his sainted mother,
Helen, led the way and their example was uni-
versally followed. By imperial munificence
sumptuous basilicas were reared in Rome, Con-
stantinople, Antioch and Jerusalem.
What was the origin of these edifices?
A large number were new constructions. In
some instances special dwellings were adapted to
Christian worship. It was the exception to trans-
form pagan temples into Christian churches.
More frequently they were demolished and their
material worked into a new structure, whilst the
architectural form of aisle, divided by columns in
their basilicas, served as a pattern for the new
edifices.
Liturgic Places 53
Wliat architectural type did these Churches
take?
(1) The Greek with its row of columns surround-
ing three or four sides of the central building,
forming a portico or peristyle, bonded together by
entablature and pediment, and whether Doric,
Ionic or Corinthian dependent on the character of
column and capital. The aim of all Greek archi-
tecture was external beauty as illustrated in the
Athenian Parthenon, for a long period used as a
Christian church, and among modern edifices, the
famous Madeleine of Paris with the addition of
a dome which is not Greek.
(2) The Roman, an adaptation of Greek archi-
tecture with the auxiliary of the arch over doors
and windows and vaulted ceilings, unknown to the
Greeks. The Roman Basilica, from the Greek 6a-
silikos ( kingly, royal ) the Roman law court with
its apse where the judges sat on a raised platform,
and its nave and lateral aisles divided by columns,
furnished the pattern of the early Roman Church.
(3) Byzantine, popular in Constantinople, and
carried to its perfect form in the church of Sancta
Sophia. The Romans often built tombs and
temples in a circular shape and the Byzantine is
an elaboration of this style. Baptisteries and
churches followed this exemplar.
(4) Romanesque, called by the French Romance
and by the English Norman, a development from
the Roman with many structural alterations.
54 The Mass and Vestments
(5) Medieval Gothic, derived from the Roman-
esque with the substitution of the pointed for the
round arch. The Romanesque sought expansion,
the Gothic aerial elevation. Its home was France,
and the period of its grandest display the twelfth
century.
(6) Renaissance, the creation of the classical re-
vival in the fifteenth century when the intellect
and taste of Italy became enamoured of Greek
and Roman antiquity. Hitherto architecture was
creative; now it is imitative, and architects were
content to copy the artistic creations of the ancient
Roman and Greek world that had escaped destruc-
tion. In the beginning, they followed closely the
lines of antique construction and decoration, but
in the sixteenth century there was the assertion
of the dexterity, caprice and individual fancy of
the builder, and the introduction of more elaborate
ornament than was dreamt of by Greek or Roman.
( 7) Modern Gothic, a recoil from the supremacy
of classical architecture which had held sway for
two hundred years. This reaction began in Eng-
land in the nineteenth century under that en-
thusiastic pioneer, Pugin, and was immediately
adopted in France, Belgium, Germany and the
United States.
What are the principal parts of a church
called?
The belfry or campanile (Italian), vestibule,
Liturgic Places
55
nave, from navis (ship)
from its shape, transept,
choir, chapels and sanc-
tuary.
How are churches
divided?
Into:
1. Basilicas.
2. Stations.
3. Cathedrals.
4. Collegiate Churches.
5. Parish Churches.
6. Simple Churches.
7. Oratories or Chapels.
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PLAN OF ANCIENT CHURCH
What is a Basilica?
A Basilica, from the
Greek basileion (royal house) is that Church
which holds the first place in point of dignity
and privileges. There are two classes: the major
and minor Basilica.
What are the Major Basilicas?
They are churches of the first order and num-
ber five in Rome: of St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John
Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Lawrence beyond
the wall. Outside Rome, there are the basilicas
of St. Francis of Assisi and the Cathedral of
Anagni.
What are the Minor Basilicas?
56 The Mass and Vestments
They are churches of the second rank, which
differ from the first only in point of privi-
leges and spiritual favors. There are some of
these in Rome and a few in the Catholic world.
What are Stations
They are churches possessing the tomb of an
apostle or martyr, to which processions were
made on certain fixed days for the celebration of
Mass.
What is a Cathedral?
Cathedral, from cathedra ( chair ) is the church
in a diocese of the titular bishop, where his throne
is set up and where he officiates. These attri-
butes make it a church of exceptional dignity.
How are Cathedrals divided?
Into Simple and Metropolitan. The Cathedral
Metropolitan from the Greek (Mother-City) is
the church occupied by an archbishop.
How many classes of Metropolitan Cathedrals
are there?
Three: Simple, Primatial and Patriarchal, con-
tingent on their occupancy by Archbishop, Primate
or Patriarch. The patriarchal dignity belonged
originally to the Sees founded directly by St.
Peter. Hence Rome, Antioch and Alexandria, to
which St. Peter assigned St. Mark, representing
Europe, Asia and Africa. In time, Antioch and
Alexandria were lost to the church and although
Liturgic Places 57
derelict, she yet lays claim to them. Hence the
patriarchal title retained by the chief Roman
basilicas: St. Mary Major for Antioch; St. Paul's
for Alexandria; St. Peter's for Constantinople and
St. Lorenzo for Jerusalem, suppressed since 1847,
when a resident patriarch took possession of the
Jerusalem See.
Minor patriarchates were conferred on Grado,
transferred to Venice, Lisbon, Goa, India, and
formerly Bourges, France.
What is a Collegiate Church?
Collegiate, from the Latin collegium ( assembly,
community) is a church served by Canons who
celebrate the office in choir every day. Thus its
liturgical meaning differs from the conventional
and ordinary which would connect it with a col-
lege. These Canons are distinct from, and inferior
to the Cathedral Canons. Such churches were,
prior to the Revolution, frequent in France. Now
they are infrequent.
What is a Parish Church?
A church to which a titular cure, pastor or
rector is appointed. Auxiliary chapels to the
principal church served by the same clergy are
called succursals, vicarial chapels, and chapels of
ease.
What is a Simple Church?
A church possessed by members of a Religious
Order, in the locality of their canonical establish-
58 The Mass and Vestments
ment, independent and separated from the parish
church, where certain functions like the chanting
of the canonical hours and the celebration of Mass
are performed, and, by permission of the bishop,
preaching and the hearing of confessions.
Why are the privileges of a Simple Church
curtailed?
To safeguard the rights and emoluments of the
canonical incumbent of the parish church.
What is an Oratory or Chapel?
An Oratory from the Latin oratorium (place
of prayer) and Chapel, in Latin cavella (a little
cape or cloak ) from the small cloak of St. Martin
of Tours which the Merovingian Kings kept in a
special oratory of the palace, the name of the relic
passing to the oratory, are both alike places of
prayer and worship.
How are Oratories distinguished?
As public and private Oratories. A public Ora-
tory has an entrance on a thoroughfare which
offers free access to the faithful. A private
Oratory is really a domestic chapel built in a
private house and entirely subject to its family.
Give examples of public Oratories?
The Chapels of religious houses, hospitals,
seminaries, colleges, prisons, Episcopal palaces and
chapels of religious communities subsidiary to the
principal Chapel.
Liturgic Places 59
What are the privileges of a Public Oratory?
It is blessed, and in it may be offered divine
functions in whole or part, and the faithful may
discharge the precept of hearing Mass. When
these concessions are a trespass and menace to
local parochial rights they may be abridged by
Episcopal authority.
What is the condition for Mass in a private
Oratory?
It is imperative to obtain the permission of the
Holy See.
Who may satisfy the precept oj hearing Mass
in a private Oratory?
Those who have received the Indult of a pri-
vate chapel and the sharers of their privilege,
like children and grandchildren, parents and
relatives to the fourth degree of kindred, noble
guests and servants of the family.
What is a Crypt?
Crypt, from a Greek word which means to hide
or conceal, is a duplicate subterranean Church situ-
ated under chapel or choir, or an entire upper
church, which has its own altars, relics and tombs.
It must at least have an altar to be a crypt. It is
a memorial of the catacombs of the early years,
where Christians were buried and where they
concealed the Sacred Mysteries from the profana-
tions and insults of their enemies. They are used
as burial places for royalty, bishops, cures and
60 The Mass and Vestments
worthy nobles, and as meeting places for religious
fraternities and the teaching of catechism.
What is the Sacristy?
The Sacristy, from the Latin sacr avium (holy
place) is that part of the Church convenient to
the Sanctuary where the priest and his ministers
vest for the services, and where the holy vest-
ments and sacred vessels and linens, etc. are kept.
What does the word Cemetery signify?
According to its Greek original it signifies a
dormitory where the bodies of the dead lie asleep
awaiting the resurrection. Like the churches and
public chapels, it receives a benediction which
may be forfeited for the same causes that destroy
the blessing of a church, and then there is need
of a reconciliation. Only Catholics may be buried
in consecrated ground, and sometimes for reasons
fixed by statute nominal Catholics may be excluded
from Christian burial. Primitively, the altar was
set up among the graves of the dead, and later
the churchyard encompassed the church. Now
the requirements of sanitation in crowded com-
munities and the prescriptions of law banish
cemeteries to outskirts and detach them from the
churches.
Bibliography: Origin of Christian Worship, Duchesne;
Les Origines Liturgiques, Dom Cabral; American Ecclesias-
tical Review, June 1, 1904; LAmi du Clerge, August 16,
August 30, September 13, September 27, October 25, 1906,
May 23, July 11, 1907.
CHAPTER VI.
THE LITURGY OF THE MASS.
What is the meaning of Liturgia or Liturgy?
Liturgy or Liturgia, Leiton (public) and Ergon
(a work) in the East is the sole appellation for
the Mass; in the West it is a collection of all the
rites and ceremonies employed by the church in
her sacred offices and in the administration of the
sacraments.
Is there an identity of meaning between
Liturgy and Rubrics?
No. Liturgy includes the rules and formulae
pertaining to the sacred functions of the church
generally, whilst Rubrics, rubrum (red) are
the directions in red letters for the proper per-
formance of any particular ceremony.
Is the Liturgy or Formulary of the Mass
and the Sacraments uniform in the Church?
In the church of St. Clement's time— the end of
the first century— there was not only a definite
framework, but more or less uniformity in the
substance and very language of the liturgical
prayers. The Liturgy, however, was not accepted
as fixed and unalterable by the early church. A
large measure of discretion in modifying details
was left to the bishops to suit local conditions and
was exercised by Popes, St. Leo and St. Gregory
62 The Mass and Vestments
of Rome, and St. Basil and St. Cyril of Alexandria.
Identity of general outlines and divergence of
details are the notes that distinguish the earlier
Mass formularies. Difference there was in the
various services to the onlooker and participant,
in prayer, movement and correlation of parts, but
beneath all the diversity there runs a singular
unanimity of faith in the Divine Victim, in the
confession of human weaknesses, and in the source
whence healing and strength are to come.
Mention some of the ancient Liturgies?
( 1 ) The West Syrian group in which is its most
ancient type called the "Greek St. James," which
has been the matrix and root of the different
Liturgies used by the Syrian Jacobites; the
Liturgy of St. Basil, St. Chrysostom and the
Armenian rites with some modifications. The
Mass of the Greek church of to-day is according
to the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom for all days
except fast days and Sundays in Lent and a few
other days, when the formulary of St. Basil and
that of the Presanctified is followed.
(2) The East Syrian family reared in the Patri-
archate of Antioch, which comprised the Malabar
Liturgy used by the Christians of the Apostle, St.
Thomas in India until the Portuguese conquest,
and the present day Liturgy in vogue among the
Nestorians.
(3) The Alexandrian group with its earliest ex-
tant Liturgy called "St. Mark's," somewhat changed
The Liturgy of the Mass 63
under the influence of Constantinople, and the rite
followed by the few orthodox Christians who re-
mained briefly in Egypt after the great Mono-
physite heresy. It also includes the two Liturgies
used by the Egyptian Copts and the rite of the
Ethiopians, which is the Mass of the heretical
Monophysites of Abyssinia.
These three families belong to the Eastern
Church.
(4) In the Western Church was the Hispano-
Gallic family, a puzzle to experts in Liturgy who
endeavor to trace its ancestry. Some, like Sir W.
Palmer, find its archetype in Asia Minor before
the Council of Laodicea in the fourth century.
Others, like Duchesne, discern an Oriental paren-
tage and a direct introduction into Milan by the
Arian bishop Auxentius about the middle of the
fourth century. The structural aspects of this
family ally it with East and West. Its most dis-
tinguished offspring are the Liturgy of the Church
of Lyons, no longer in use, the Ambrosian rite
still permitted in the Church of Milan and the
Mozarabic rite of Toledo in Spain.
(5) The Roman Liturgy which is the form now
followed generally in the Western, as the rite of
St. Chrysostom is the standard of the Eastern
church.
How do the Ambrosian and Mozarabic rites
derive their Names?
The first from St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan (374).
64 The Mass and Vestments
The second from "mostarab," a participle of the
Arab verb, "estarab," i. e. to Arabize, which was
applied as a nickname to those Christians in Spain,
who, under Moorish dominion, remained faithful to
their religion and adopted the Arab dress and
mode of life to escape persecution. The rite
received its name because it was a Moorish
concession granted to so-called Arabianized
Christians. Its origin is credited to St. Isidore,
of Seville, but very probably it was the original
rite in use among the Christians in Spain. It
is also called the Gothic-Spanish, Isidorian and
Toledian rite.
In how many Spanish churches is the Moz-
arabic rite followed?
It was gradually supplanted by the Roman
Liturgy, so that at the end of the fifteenth cen-
tury it was followed only in six churches in Toledo
on great feasts. Cardinal Ximenes ( 1517 ) built
the beautiful chapel of Corpus Christi in the
Cathedral of Toledo, to which he attached a chap-
ter of thirteen priests, and here daily until now
the Office is recited and Mass offered according to
the Mozarabic rite. On Sundays and feast-days
it is also the accepted rite in the churches of St.
Mark and Sts. Justina and Rufina of the same
city, and at Salamanca in the chapel of St. Salva-
dor in the old cathedral on sixteen appointed days
the Mozarabic Mass is of obligation.
The Liturgy of the Mass 65
What are the earliest authorities verifying
the Roman Liturgy?
(1) The most ancient is a Sacramentary dis-
covered by Blanchini at Verona and attributed by
him to St. Leo the Great. Muratori and Ballerini,
however, ascribe it to an unknown Roman, a con-
temporary of Felix III. (790).
(2) The Gelasian Sacramentary of Pope Gelasius
(492 ), the scholarly product of the labors of Cardi-
nal Thomasius and Gerbert in collating and compar-
ing various MSS. of the eighth and tenth century.
(3) The Gregorian Sacramentary of the time of
Hadrian I. (790).
St. Gregory the Great at the end of the sixth
century revised the Liturgy, gave us the present
form of the Canon of the Mass, placed the Pater
Noster after the Canon, reduced the number of
Prefaces and Collects and rearranged them.
What are the Liturgies in use in the Eastern
and Western Church of to-day?
In the East, the Liturgies of St. John Chrysos-
tom and St. Basil, Bishop of Caesarea in Cappa-
docia, hold undisputed sway except among the
Maronites and Syrians, where a modified Liturgy
of St. James, admittedly the most ancient, pre-
vails; in the church of Jerusalem and some
islands in the Greek Archipelago the original
Liturgy of St. James is used, and in the Patri-
archate of Alexandria a diluted Liturgy of St.
Mark is followed.
66 The Mass and Vestments
The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is accepted
by the Russian church in the Empire of Russia,
not in its Greek form, but in Slavonic, which is the
liturgical language. It is also the liturgical guide
in the four Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alex-
andria, Antioch and Jerusalem; among the
Mingrelians, Wallachians, Ruthenians, Rascians,
Bulgarians and Albanians; in the kingdom of
Greece and its dependencies, as also with the
United Greeks or Roman Catholic Greeks in Italy,
the Austrian Empire and the four Patriarchates
mentioned above.
The dual form of Mass celebration as typified
by the Chrysostom and Basil Liturgies, still extant
in the Eastern church, is a curious and a convinc-
ing example of the tenacity with which the
Oriental Christian clings to its ancient rites. The
two are thus adjusted: The Liturgy of St. Basil
on the Vigils of Christmas and Epiphany, the
feast of St. Basil, January 1, and all the Sundays
of Lent, except Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and
Holy Saturday; the Liturgy of St. John Chrysos-
tom on the other week days and Sundays of the
year, except on the ferial days of Lent, when the
service of the Presanctifled, called the Liturgy of
the Presanctifled is used instead of the Basilian
and Chrysostom rites.
In the Western Church, the Roman Liturgy
holds a commanding and nearly universal head-
ship. The only exceptions are the Ambrosian
The Liturgy of the Mass 67
rite in Milan, and the Mozarabic in a single chapel
of the Toledo (Spain) Cathedral, where it has a
full beneficed canonry, and in the old Cathedral
of Salamanca (Spain) sixteen times in the year,
and in a few churches of Toledo on Sundays
and Holydays.
The Gallican or Lyonese rite and the Sarum
rite of English celebrity, deriving its name from
Salisbury, whose cathedral was its chief exponent,
have entirely disappeared, except in the re-
searches of the archaeologists who study their
structure to trace their origin and the laws of
their growth.
What are the prominent characteristics of
these Liturgies?
(1) All Liturgies approximate each other the
farther they are traced back. The more ancient
agree more closely than the modern. Thus our
Good Friday service and the Greek St. James are
in closer agreement than their offspring, the
Roman Mass and the Liturgy of Constantinople
of to-day.
(2) The points of agreement between the vari-
ous Liturgies must have come from some uniform
source, and none is more reasonable than the
teaching of the Apostles, who while allowing
freedom of detail insist on substantial uniformity
in the general structure and character of the
service.
68 The Mass and Vestments
(3) The chief points of contact between the
Liturgies are: the reading of Scripture, the prayer
of the faithful, the kiss of peace, the preface, pre-
ceded by the Sursum Corda and followed by the
Sanctus, the commemoration by the celebrant of
the living and the dead, the recital of the institu-
tion of the Holy Eucharist with the words of
consecration, the commemoration of our Lord's
passion and death, the Pater Noster, the Commu-
nion with its preparation and thanksgiving. The
only discord in these harmonies is that of lan-
guage and sequence.
(4) All but one of the features of the Liturgy
are enshrined in the Roman Mass of to-day — the
prayer of the faithful being found only in the
Mass of the Presanctified on Good Friday. In its
contents and structure, therefore, there is high
possibility of Apostolic handiwork.
(5) The general arrangement and some of the
language of the Roman Mass may, by very prob-
able inference, be ascribed to St. Clement (93)
and even to St. Peter.
(6) The Canon of the Mass was altered to an
uncertain extent within two centuries after the
Apostles. In the beginning of the fourth century
it came into almost its present form. In the sixth
century, St. Gregory the Great made a few
changes and left it as we have it now.
(7) Renaudot, the great liturgiologist, gives us
this suggestive summary:
The Liturgy of the Mass 69
"Hence shines out clearly that likeness of pray-
ers and rites which confirms the ancient doctrine
of the whole church concerning the Eucharist."
All ancient Liturgies, orthodox and heretical, are
constructed on, or permeated by the sacrificial
character of the Holy Eucharist and our Lord's
Real Presence therein. Deny the Mass as a
Sacrifice and the Real Presence, and every invo-
cation, petition and detail of these Liturgies become
irrelevant and unmeaning.
What is the source of the frame-work of the
first Liturgy?
There has been a tradition always in the church,
as SS. Jerome and Gregory Nazianzen bear wit-
ness, that the Christian church derived its services
from the Synagogue.
How was the first Mass Celebrated?
Cardinal Bona in his great work on the Liturgy
declares that lights were certainly used after the
manner of the ancient Hebrews, and vestments
very different from the garb of every day life.
In confirmation of this latter fact, he mentions
that the chasuble of St. Peter was conveyed from
Antioch to the church of St. Genevieve at Paris
and there carefully preserved.
Was there any definite Liturgy in the Mass
oj the earliest age of the Church?
There is a consensus of opinion among liturgi-
70 The Mass and Vestments
ologists that there was no definite Liturgy beyond
the words of Consecration and the Lord's prayer.
What was this Liturgy of the Apostles called?
It was called the Clementine Liturgy, which
through the first three centuries remained un-
changed, and in substance is believed to be en-
shrined in the second and third books of the
Apostolic Constitutions, compiled very probably in
Asia Minor.
Were any changes made in this Liturgy?
Pope St. Damasus (384), St. Leo the Great
(461 ) , and Gelasius I. ( 496 ) added new Prefaces
and prayers. Gregory the Great (604) con-
densed many additions of his predecessors and
excised some and changed others.
What reason do they offer for this statement
of an Indefinite Liturgy?
Because the stress and terror of persecution, or
other circumstance, made it necessary to shorten
and expedite the Mass as much as possible.
Do they support the statement by any au-
thority?
Yes, by the authority of St. Gregory the Great,
in his letter to John, the Syrian.
Is the letter capable of only this interpreta-
tion?
Liturgical experts like Probst and Le Brun
discover in the same letter expressions corrobora-
The Liturgy of the Mass 71
ting a Canon of the Mass, in addition to the Our
Father. Besides "Orationem dominicam" — the
Lord's prayer — St. Gregory refers to an "Orationem
oblationis" — the prayer of offering — said in the
Mass, which may be the equivalent of our Canon.
Ij this be not the meaning of St. Gregory,
what fallows'?
It places him in opposition to his predecessors,
who explicitly affirmed the Apostolic origin of
parts of the Liturgy. It arrays him against St.
Justin in the second century, who declares that
the Liturgy of his time had been delivered to the
faithful by the Apostles. It places him in an
attitude of hostility to the discovered lost passages
of St. Clement's Epistle ( first century ) , in which
are revealed such striking verbal identities with
the Alexandrian Liturgy as to justify the belief
that the Pontiff was quoting the text of the Mass.
So cautious a scholar as Dr. Lightfoot, grounding
his conclusions on this Clementine letter, believes
that at the end of the first century a Liturgy in
substance and uniformity existed.
What then is the safe assumption touching a
primitive Liturgy?
We may safely assume that the central and sub-
stantial framework of the Liturgy, or form of the
Mass, was delivered orally by the Apostles to their
disciples.
72 The Mass and Vestments
How long did this oral deliverance continue?
LeBrun inclines to the opinion that it continued
until the fifth century. This, however, appears
like a hasty, ill-considered guess. There is con-
clusive evidence in favor of existing liturgical
formulae, definite, written and accepted in the
second century. Celsus, the notorious anti-Chris-
tian philosopher (second century) affirms that
he has seen the "barbarous books" of the Chris-
tians "with daemonic names and portentous ex-
pressions." Origen's reply suggests that he must
have seen the liturgical books, and not merely the
dyptichs or tablets on which were inscribed the
names of those prayed for, as was generally
supposed.
The "Servers and Hymns" of St. Justin, and
the "ordering of the prayers" of Origen are only
intelligible when understood of set formulae, and
this contention is further strengthened by the
very close identity, not merely in substance, but
even in expression between the Liturgies and the
liturgical allusions in these and others of the early
fathers. Besides, St. Irenaeus and Tertullian
censure the Gnostics for corrupting the Liturgy,
which is more intelligible of a written text than a
deliverance by word of mouth.
What is the oldest extant type of the exter-
nal ceremonial oj the Mass?
In the fourth chapter of the Apocalypse, where
a description of heaven is so graphic a replica of
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74 The Mass and Vestments
the Holy Sacrifice as to preclude the possibility of
the resemblance being accidental. In any event,
the verisimilitude is so striking that the Christians,
at the end of the first century, hearing the pas-
sage read would discern all the dominant features
of the Mass, at which they were about to assist.
The bishop seated on his throne at the end of the
church in the apse surrounded by his twenty-four
white-robed presbyters; the lamps burning before
the Divme Presence; the chant of the Sanctus
taken up by the elders; the Eucharistic praises for
the blessing of creation and redemption; the
descent among them of the central figure, the
lamb "standing as it were slain," were the sacro-
sanct scenes enacted before their senses, the
reality of which was hidden behind the veil.
Is it a strain on the verities that much of the
ritual was moulded on this description? Unless
these ceremonies already existed their significance
would! have been lost on the disciples of St. John.
What causes are responsible for this diver-
sity of Liturgy?
Local conditions, difficult now to designate and
analyze, and weighty general influences which
are ascertainable.
Hoiv will we account Jor the additions made
to the same Liturgy in the progress of time?
Chiefly by the play of these larger, more com-
prehensive agencies.
The Liturgy of the Mass 75
What are these important influences?
(1) The Disciplina Arcani, or the Discipline of
the Secret already referred to in the derivation of
the word Mass. The early church kept from the
heathen, the unbaptized and the uninstructed a
full knowledge of these mysteries of the Faith,
apt to be misunderstood. Only the baptized, and
instructed, and worthy were allowed to remain
through the entire Mass. This reverential reserve
applied more particularly to the Holy Eucharist,
about which had gathered the most revolting
accusations and perversions of the heathen, against
which the Christians rarely defended themselves,
because their defense would fall on incredulous
and hostile ears. Even when St. Justin trans-
gressed the reservation in his reply to the Emperor,
Antoninus Pius, whilst we can follow his reason-
ing, we also feel it is all an unintelligible jargon
to the Pagans, and, therefore, that all such vindi-
cations are like the nebulous pillar-guide of the
Jews in the desert— a bright light to friend— a
dark shadow to enemy. Because of this reserve,
the Catechumens (Katecheo — teach orally) or
those under instruction and preparing for Bap-
tism were dismissed from the church after the
sermon and before the Canon, or sacrificial part of
the service. This discipline cut the Mass in twain —
into that of the Catechumens and that of the
Faithful.
76 The Mass and Vestments
(2) The penitential Discipline of the early church
also contributed its share in moulding the elements
of the Mass. It was the age when public and the
grosser delinquencies of Christians were penalized
before the faithful, scandalized and humiliated by
their transgressions. As the Catechumens were
divided into two classes — the Hearers, or the un-
instructed who expressed a wish to join the
church, and the Elect or Competents, who with a
completed instruction stood expectantly on the
threshold of Baptism, so there were four kinds of
Penitents: The Weepers, who stood in the outside
porch or Narthex; the Hearers, who stood in the
second porch; the Prostrates, whose place was
near the Ambo, or pulpit, and the Co-standers or
Consistentes, who were allowed to mingle with
the faithful in the nave near the altar and assist
at the entire Mass, though barred from Com-
munion.
The eighth book of the Apostolic Constitutions
contains the Liturgy called the Clementine, very
probably the oldest of all formularies in the
Western Church, in which are the rubrics of a
Mass when the discipline of exclusion was en-
forced. It was applied to four classes; the Cate-
chumens, the Energumens or possessed, the Com-
petents and the Penitents. Over each of these
the deacon uttered a bidding prayer soliciting the
intercession of the faithful, and they in turn
answering "Kyrie eleison," then over bowed
The Liturgy of the Mass 77
heads, the celebrants pronounced a prayer, after
which they filed out of the church.
The Kyrie eleison before the Gloria of our
present Mass seems to be a vestige of this practice,
which St. Gregory testifies was in use before his
time, whilst tradition supplements, that Pope
Sylvester introduced the Kyrie from the East.
(3) The relaxation and final disappearance of
the Discipline of the church, catechumenal and
penitential, and the vanishing of the Discipline of
the Secret necessitated a reconstruction of the
Mass. Very probably, canonical penances, of
which there is yet a memory in the name and
time limits of indulgences, began to decline soon
after persecution ceased, to disappear entirely at
different periods in different localities. The Dis-
cipline of the Secret held sway longer. The East
saw the last of it at the end of the fifth, and in the
West it continued until the middle of the sixth
century.
The disuse of the ritual over the catechumens
and penitents, and their absorption as it were into
the body of the faithful, with the privilege of
staying through the entire service, left a void
which was filled in the Roman Mass by the Gloria
in Excelsis, and by the Collects, of which the
older Liturgies had a very large assortment.
(4) The slow but progressive growth of the
festivals and saints' days of the ecclesiastical year
in the West necessitated the adoption of many so-
78 The Mass and Vestments
called variables, such as special collects, prefaces
and additions to the communicantes, to express the
mysteries and commemorate the saints memorial-
ized.
(5 ) Finally, the divorce between the East and
West which entered on its first stage when Con-
stantine transferred his throne to Constantinople,
caused further divergence between the Liturgies.
The preeminence of the Roman See led to the sub-
stitution of the Roman rite for the Hispano-
Gallican, the other great Liturgy of the West,
which now survives only in Salamanca and
Toledo under the name of Mozarabic where it was
installed by Cardinal Ximenes.
The Gallican rite ceased to exist in the ninth
century, although it continued to leave a very
definite impress on the medieval rituals of England,
France and Germany, which were nominally
Roman with Hispano-Gallic details.
In the East, the political supremacy of Constan-
tinople, and its doctrinal orthodoxy at the time of
the great heresies, of which the mystery of the
Incarnation was so long the storm-centre, gave it
also a liturgical ascendancy which established its
ritual as the standard, according to which all
Liturgies of the Orthodox church were constructed.
Some of these in their very primitive form may
still be found among the Nestorians and Mono-
physites.
\*
The Liturgy of the Mass 79
What and how 'many were the ancient books
containing the rubrics arid prayers to be
observed and recited in the Mass?
(a) The Sacramentary, or Book of Mysteries,
which contained the prayers or collects, prefaces,
canon and the prayers after communion. The
canon was always contained in a separate volume,
and placed in the middle of the altar as it is now
in a bishop's Mass.
( b ) The Lectionary, which contained the lessons
from the Old Testament, the Acts of the Apostles,
Epistles and the Apocalypse, distributed through
the ecclesiastical year and read in the Mass. Because
many of these lessons were extracts from the
Epistles of St. Paul, the book was also called the
Epistolary or Apostolic.
(c) The Evangelary, which contained the
various gospels from the four Evangelists, to be
read in the Mass throughout the year. This book
was borne with solemn pomp to the altar at the
beginning of Mass, and next to the cross was the
most treasured symbol in the sacrifice. The
Evangelary and the Lectionary were also called
the Companion, by excellence, because the clergy
were enjoined to make them their special vade-
mecums and manuals.
{d) The Antiphonary, which contained the an-
tiphons and psalms for the Introit, the Gradual,
Tract, Offertorv and Communion, which were
80 The Mass and Vestments
sung in choir. It was also called the Antiphonal,
Responsal and Gradual.
(e) The Roman Ordos, which contained the
rites and ceremonies for the sacred functions, just
as the preceding volumes contain the text of their
prayers and lessons. These Ordos were comprised
in fifteen volumes, of which the first treats of the
Mass, and is ascribed to the seventh century.
Eight deal with the Mass, Baptism, Ordination
and other functions, and belong to the eighth
century. The six remaining are of a date subse-
quent to this. The equivalent of these in the
church now are the Roman Pontifical and the
Ceremonial of bishops.
When were these separate books combined
into one volume?
In the ninth century.
Why were they combined?
Because their separate use became very onerous
and difficult in the celebration of private masses.
The corporate volume was called a plenary Missal,
because it contained, in full, all the prayers and
lessons and rubrics necessary for a low Mass.
Vestiges of the ancient custom are yet discernible
in the use of a Missal and Canon in a Pontifical
Mass, and of an Evangelary and Lectionary for the
ministers, and Gradual for the choir in a Solemn
High Mass. The employment of altar cards may
also be taken as an echo of the same ancient usage.
The Liturgy of the Mass 81
What is the name oj the Mass-Book now in
use?
It is called the Roman Missal.
Does it differ from the Plenary Missal of the
ninth century?
It does in many respects.
Why was the Roman Missal published and
substituted for other missals?
Because, with the exception of the Canon of the
Mass, which had remained unchanged from the
time of Pope Gregory the Great, the older missals
had introduced into the Mass many unauthorized
changes and additions which were departures from
the purity and simplicity of the Gregorian Liturgy.
Many dioceses had their own special missals, differ-
ing not only in the prayers, but also in the saints
commemorated and honored, and too often these
saints were canonized by private devotion or re-
gard, without reference to the authorization of the
church.
Who began and perfected the restoration oj
the Roman Missal?
The Council of Trent (Session XVIII) Febru-
ary 16, 1562, entrusted the correction of the
Missal to a special committee, and after its ad-
journment, to the reigning Pope, Pius V.
This Pope assigned the duty to certain learned
scholars, who, after a studious research and com-
82 The Mass and Vestments
parison of the various liturgical manuscripts in the
Vatican library, and consultation with the experts
in sacred Liturgy, submitted their report to the
Pope. The report became the Roman Missal, and
was published with a Papal Bull, July 14, 1570.
What did this Pope order with reference to
the Missal?
He forbade any priest, subject to the Roman
rite, to say or sing Mass otherwise than according
to the formula of the Roman Missal, and he
ordered that all other Missals be rejected and
their use discontinued.
What other Missals may be retained?
Those Missals may, but not necessarily, be re-
tained, which remained in uninterrupted use for
two hundred years, from the time of their ap-
proval by the Holy See to the adoption of the
new Missal in 1570. Under this exception the
Carthusians and Dominicans use their own
Missal. Others, like the Franciscans, have a
special mass-book called the Roman-Seraphic Mis-
sal, because whilst conforming to the Roman
Missal in the manner of saying Mass they are
allowed special Masses for the saints of their own
Order and also special Prefaces.
What Popes further revised and corrected
the Roman Missal?
Clement VIII. (1604). As the Vulgate version
The Liturgy of the Mass 83
of the New Testament did not appear till 1590-
1592, Pius V. followed in his Missal the reading
of the version called Itala. Afterwards, without
consulting the Holy See, certain publishers issued
new missals adapted to the Vulgate. The Pope
interdicted these missals, and restored the Roman
Missal to its former integrity and gave copious
comments on its rubrics.
Urban VIII. ( 1634 ) adapted the Roman Missal
to the Vulgate.
Leo XIII. ( 1884) issued a Missal which he called
typical of all other editions. It contains the fol-
lowing: the text of the rubrics according to the
changes made in 1882; the Masses for the Uni-
versal church; the votive Masses conceded in 1883;
the Diocesan and Provincial Masses allowed by
the Holy See in their proper place; the chant to
which all other Missals must conform; a new
revision of the rubrics in harmony with recent
decrees as late as 1897.
What are the divisions in the Roman Missal?
They are nine:
1. The order of the Mass.
2. Masses for the seasons.
3. Special Masses for the saints.
4. General form of Masses for saints.
5. Votive Masses for mysteries, saints and
various intentions.
6. List of prayers to be said in the Mass.
84 The Mass and Vestments
7. Four Masses for the dead with their divers
prayers.
8. Various blessings.
9. Votive Masses to correspond with the votive
offices granted in 1883, for every day in the week.
The Appendix is a collection of Masses allowed
by an Apostolic Indult in a nation or diocese,
city or church.
Bibliography: Sacra Liturgia, Vander Stappen, 1902;
The Mass, O'Brien; Les Anciennes Liturgies, Grancolas
1699; Dr. J. R. Gasquet, Early History of the Mass, 1904;
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Rev. Dr. Nicholas Gihr, 1903;
Origines Liturgicae, Sir W. Palmer, 1845. De La Liturgie,
Cardinal Bona, 1854.
CHAPTER VII.
SACRIFICE IN GENERAL AND THE SACRIFICES
OF THE OLD LAW.
What is Sacrifice?
The primitive and most necessary act of
religion, whereby we acknowledge God's supreme
dominion over us and our total dependence on
Him. Its primitiveness and necessity are demon-
strated in Exodus and Leviticus wherein God by
express command directed that sacrifice should
be offered to Him. Even if God had not issued
these precise and positive orders, it is conceivable
that nature and reason would have taught the
need of sacrifice, because God is our Creator and
on Him we depend for all we possess. Indepen-
dent of all revelation and special divine guidance,
it is only on the theory of a religious instinct or
intuition that we can account for the practice of
sacrifice among all nations, however barbarous
and savage, acknowledging a Supreme Being.
What is the derivation of the word Sacrifice?
The word sacrifice, considering its derivation
(sacrum facer e) may mean the doing of a
sacred thing, the performing of a sacred rite,
rather than the making a thing sacred or conse-
crating it.
86 The Mass and Vestments
What are the leading notes of Sacrifice?
(a) Sacrifice belongs to the class of religious
acts known as cultus, or worship, by which man
seeks to draw near to God. The rite of sacrifice
by the consent of antiquity excelled all other
ordinances in its power of approach to God.
(b) It is distinguished from other expressions
of religion by the material oblation in which it
consists. It is closely allied to prayer. To the
universal instinct of antiquity, prayer and petition
were more efficacious when associated with a rite
which made over to God, or shared with Him
material things of a kind which ministered to
human wants.
( c ) From other acts in which material things
are consecrated to God, sacrifice is distinguished
by the circumstance that the sacrifice is consumed
or changed in the offering.
( d ) The effect of sacrifice seems to have been,
by pleasing the Deity— to enjoy communion with
Him, and thereby to be delivered from threatened
evil and possess the coveted good.
What is the origin of Sacrifice?
There are two theories — one for a divine, the
other for a human origin. The human origin pre-
supposes either, that the religion of primitive man
was Monotheism, and by intuition and reflection
on the world and himself, he reached a knowledge
of God and His attributes and the need of sacri-
Sacrifice in General 87
fice, or that his deities were mere nature-spirits,
or ancestral ghosts, or fetishes, who needed some-
thing which a worshipper could offer.
The philosophers of the old world held as an
axiom:
"Primus in orbe deos fecit Timor."
(Fear first made gods in the world).
Cleanthes in Cicero ( De nat. Deor. Ill, 5 ) ac-
counts for the universal belief in gods and their
worship, "because the minds of men were terrified
by lightnings, tempests, snow, hail, devastations,
pestilence, earthquakes, sudden sinkings of the
earth, portentous births, meteors, comets" and
such like phenomena.
In the Patriarchal period, when the primitive
sacrifice began a growth which culminated in the
complex rite of the Mosaic time, both in the com-
plaisance with which God accepted sacrifice and
the appointments and injunctions regulating it
issued by Jehovah, there is abundant material for
the divine origin of sacrifice.
How many significations has the word
Sacrifice?
Two: comprehensive and limited. In its com-
prehensive significance it includes all good works
done with the intention of honoring God and
uniting ourselves to Him — such as faith, hope,
charity, contrition, prayer, praise and all the moral
virtues.
88 The Mass and Vestments
In its more technical and strict sense it signifies
an external offering of a visible and sensible
thing made by a priest or lawful minister, to
acknowledge, by the destruction or change of the
thing offered, the sovereign power of God and
His supreme dominion over us and all creatures,
and our total dependence upon Him.
Why is Sacrifice designated "an external
offering of a visible thing"?
To distinguish it from the interior and spiritual
offering by which we consecrate ourselves to God,
and which is sometimes called a sacrifice.
Why must a real Sacrifice be offered by a
lawful minister?
Because it is a public act of religion offered by
and for the people, and as such, the person offer-
ing it should be a public minister chosen or
ordained for that purpose. St. Paul says: "Neither
doth any man take the honor upon himself, but
he that is called by God, as Aaron was." ( Heb.
V. 4) . In the Old Law, Aaron and his descendants
were chosen by God to offer sacrifice to Him.
In the New Law, Our Saviour selected the Apostles
and their successors for the same office.
Why must the thing offered be "destroyed"
or "changed"?
Because thereby confession is made of God's
sovereignty over life and death and over all
Sacrifice in General 89
creatures, which being made from nothing by His
omnipotent will are entirely subject to His decrees.
In respect to the offerer of the sacrifice and those
whom he represents, his act is a formal ac-
knowledgment of dependence on God and resigna-
tion to His will. A mystical instead of a real
destruction of the thing offered will suffice for the
essential of a sacrifice.
Is the element of destruction or change
essential to Sacrifice'?
The Sacred Scriptures seem to answer the ques-
tion in the affirmative. The distinction between
gifts and sacrifices is emphasized, and when God
announced the law of sacrifice He explicitly di-
rected that the thing offered should, in every
instance, be immolated. When the victim was an
animal, it was slain and its blood poured out or
sprinkled, while at least part of the flesh was con-
sumed by fire. When a meal offering was made,
part of it had, in like manner, to be consumed by
fire.
Is there any dissent from this view of destruc-
tion as essential to Sacrifice?
Dr. Paul Schanz, in his Manual of Catholic
Theology, suggests a theory of sacrifice which
eliminates the element of destruction and makes
the notion of mere offering the fundamental sub-
stance of sacrifice, and Bishop Bellord finds it in
the feast following the sacrifice.
90 The Mass and Vestments
Primarily, what impulses lay behind Sacri-
fices?
In the Gentile world the example is rare of a
sacrifice intended as a vicarious offering for the
life of a sinner. The impulse generally was one
of imperfect recognition of a Deity, and of expia-
tion. In the ante-Mosaic period the sacrifices of
Cain, Abel and Noah seem to be more honorific
of God than expiatory for sin, whilst the Mosaic
sacrifices have a more predominant note of expia-
tion than any explicit confession of dependence
on God.
By implication these Levitical sacrifices ac-
knowledged the unity and sovereignty of God,
and prophets and psalmists used phrases which
clearly intimate that some sacrifices were intended
to glorify Him.
What is the significancy of the shedding of
Blood in Sacrifice?
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I
have given it to you upon the altar to make
atonement; for it is the blood that maketh the
atonement by reason of the life." ( Lev. XVII, 11 ) .
God accepted the life of the animal in lieu of the
life of the transgressor — a foreshadowing of His
acceptance of the life of His Divine Son for the
eternal ransom of His creatures. Because He is
the giver of life and death, and as the life of the
flesh is in the blood, and the life dies with the
Sacrifice in General 91
drawing of blood, the most complete recognition
of God, the Creator, is possible only in a sacrifice
which consumes the victim's life by the shedding
of its blood. "And almost all things are by the
law purged with blood, and without shedding of
blood is no remission." (Heb. IX, 22).
What are the ends for which Sacrifice is
made?
Four:
(1) To honor God in His holiness, His sovereignty
and all His perfections. The holocausts in which
the entire victim was consumed by fire best ex-
pressed this intention under the Mosaic Law.
(2) Sacrifice is offered to God in thanksgiving,
to render Him gratitude and homage for His gifts.
The sacrifices called peace offerings in the Old Law
were for this end.
(3) It is also offered as an atonement to the
justice of God for our sins and to move Him to
be propitious to us. Such was the purpose of the
ancient sacrifice called pro peccato ( for sin ) .
(4) Sacrifice is offered to obtain graces and
favors from the liberality of God, both for the
needs of daily life and special emergencies. Whilst
this form of sacrifice turns on self-interest, it also
pays homage to God as the source and cause of all
good, and by acknowledgment of our dependence
on Him. This form of sacrifice was called impe-
tratory, or the sacrifice of entreaty or petition.
92 The Mass and Vestments
How many kinds of Sacrifices were there in
the Old Law?
Four: The Holocaust; the Eucharistic; the
Propitiatory and the Impetratory sacrifices.
What is the meaning of Holocaust?
Holocaust (holos, whole, kaustos, burnt) or
whole-burnt offering was so called because the
victim was wholly consumed by fire.
What was the end of a Holocaust Sacrifice?
To do homage to the supreme dominion of God
over creatures, by which He can totally change or
destroy them whenever He pleases, and with the
same ease with which He created them. This
protestation to God was best reflected in the total
destruction of the victim.
Why was fire used as an instrument in the
Holocaust?
(1) It consumed all that was superfluous and
imperfect.
(2 ) The ascending smoke betokened God's pleas-
ure and acceptance.
(3) The light and glory of fire is a figure of the
risen Christ, our Pasch.
(4) God's oft-used symbol was fire. Moses saw
Him in a burning bush. He led Israel through
the desert-journey by a pillar of fire; the Com-
mandments were given out of fire and smoke;
the people heard that the God they worshipped
Sacrifice in General 93
was a consuming fire. As in the sacrifice the
victim took the place of the man, the sinner, so
fire took the place of God and represented Him.
When the fire consumed the victims, it seemed as .
if God whom it represented, united them to Him-
self and participated in the sacrifices. It was the
highest reach of a creature's worship in those
olden days. He could not give his victims to God
to be transmuted into Him, but he could surrender
them to fire, thereby changing them into that
which represented God most perfectly, as being
the purest and noblest of the elements.
How were the other Sacrifices performed?
In the Eucharistic or Thanksgiving offering,
and also in the Sin and Peace offering, the victims
were not wholly consumed, but parts of them
were reserved as a spiritual banquet for the priests
and people.
The victims in these sacrifices were living
creatures, such as sheep, lambs, oxen, pigeons and
other animals. When these were offered the
sacrifices were called bloody, because the victims
were slain and sometimes entirely burned upon
the altar.
There were also offered things without life,
such as fine flour, oil, frankincense, unleavened
cakes, wafers and the like. These were either
burned or destroyed upon the altar.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE MASS THE SACRIFICE OF THE NEW LAW.
What was the character of these Sacrifices
of the Old Law as to their permanency?
All the sacrifices of the Old Law, together with
the priesthood of Aaron, ordained of God for
offering them, were only types and figures of the
more perfect sacrifice and priesthood of the New
Law and were therefore only temporary and pro-
visional.
Who is the author of this Sacrifice and
priesthood of the New Law?
Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, "according
to the order of Melchisedech." "The Lord hath
sworn and will not repent; thou art a priest
forever according to the order of Melchisedech."
(Psalm 109.)
Why is the exemplar of Christ's priesthood
that oj Melchisedech?
Because the ministry of Melchisedech was to
offer up bread and wine in sacrifice, and Christ
continues a priest and victim forever, making
oblation of Himself in the sacrosanct sacrifice of
the Mass under the same elements.
The Sacrifice of the New Law 95
What is the Sacrifice of the New Law?
The Mass.
What is the Mass?
The sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ,
really present under the appearance of bread and
wine, offered to God by the priest for the living
and dead.
What is of Faith regarding the Mass as
defined by the Council of Trent?
( 1 ) That it is a sacrifice in the true and proper
sense of the word.
( 2 ) That it is essentially the same as the sacrifice
of the Cross, the only difference being in the
manner of its offering.— (Session 22, Chap. II).
The same Council ( Session 22, Chap. I ) makes
this fuller comment:
"Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, though He
was once to offer Himself to God the Father by
death on the altar of the Cross, there to work out
our eternal redemption, nevertheless, because His
priesthood was not to be extinguished by His
death, at the Last Supper, on the night of His
betrayal, by way of leaving to His beloved Spouse
the Church a sacrifice visible, as human nature
requires— a sacrifice that might be a representa-
tion and re-enactment of the sacrifice that was
once to be accomplished in blood upon the Cross,
whereby the memory of it might endure to the
96 The Mass and Vestments
end of the world, and the salutary effect of it
might be applied to the remission of the sins that
are daily committed by us— showing Himself forth
a priest appointed forever according to the order
of Melchisedech, offered His Body and Blood to
God the Father under the appearances of bread
and wine, and under the symbols of the same
things gave them to His Apostles to receive,
appointing them at the same time priests of the
New Covenant and commanding them and their
successors in the priesthood to offer the same,
which command He gave in these words: 'Do
this in commemoration of Me,' as the Catholic
Church has ever understood and taught."
What is the identity between the Sacrifice of
Calvary and of the Mass?
The most complete identity in all save the
manner of its offering.
The Victim and High-priest are the same in
both. The victim of the Cross was Christ. The
victim of the Mass is the same. Christ offered
Himself on Calvary. He also offers Himself in
the Mass. On the Cross, however, Christ offered
Himself in a bloody manner and actually died,
His Blood being really spilt, whilst in the Mass He
makes an unbloody oblation of Himself and dies
only mystically, which signifies that death does
not really ensue, but is represented in the separate
Consecration of the bread and wine and this
The Sacrifice of the New Law 97
separate Consecration is a reflex of the separation
of the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ, and by
consequence His death.
At the Last Supper, on Calvary, and on our
altars, victim and priest are the self -same and the
sacrifice is the same. They are not three but one
sacrifice. "Oblatus est quia voluit." He was a
victim by His own will. By a self-willed surrender
Christ laid Himself on the altar to be slain. The
victim bound Himself and was ready. By a self-
dedication He was doomed to death. The next
day the sacrifice was completed by His actual slay-
ing. In the Last Supper we have the ceremonial
offering and consecration of the Victim before the
immolation; on Calvary, the actual sacrifice, im-
molation. In the Mass we have the Sacred Body
and Blood of the same Victim ceremoniously
offered up — the Blood that was shed on the Cross,
the Body that was broken in the Passion. In the
order of time, the Victim of Calvary stood mid-
way between the Victim of the Last Supper and
the Victim of the Mass. That is, the real im-
molation intervened between the two mystic im-
molations. And yet, without the sacrifice of
Calvary, neither the Last Supper nor the Mass
could be more than the figment of a sacrifice.
The real made the mystic sacrifice possible. And
thus the Mass is the commemoration, the myster-
ious and bloodless representation, and the cere-
monious offering of the sacrifice of the Cross,
98 The Mass and Vestments
whilst its liturgical language, vestments, altar,
crucifix and structure bespeak the Death on the
Cross, of which it is the symbolic commemoration
and representation.
Does it differ in any particular with the
Sacrifice of the Cross?
Besides the difference in the mode of its offer-
ing, it is also numerically different. Christ is
offered under sacramental, not His own species,
and the Mass only applies the graces which the
Sacrifice on the Cross originated.
How is Christ's death represented by the
separate Consecration of the Bread and Wine?
Because our faith teaches us that the Holy
Eucharist contains truly and substantially the
sacred Body and Blood of Christ under the appear-
ance of either bread or wine. The bread does
not differ from the wine in the matter of its con-
tent, as under each separate species are contained
whole and entire the Body and Blood of Christ.
They do, however, differ in their external appear-
ance, and by the practice of the Church the bread
has always been identified with the Body of
Christ and the wine with His Blood. Both being
separately consecrated, the bread first and then
the wine, and lying apart, are mysteriously
and as if emblematically representative of the real
partition of Christ's Blood from His Body when
The Sacrifice of the New Law 99
He actually died on the Cross. Thereby our holy
Victim is offered to God not as actually dead, but
mystically or under the appearance of death.
No theory here is satisfactory that does not
include the Consecration under both kinds, or that
excludes the Consecration of the chalice as super-
fluous or non-essential. Christ died on the Cross
by the separation of His Body from His Blood.
That separation is emphasized and represented by
the separate Consecration of the bread into the
Body of Christ and the wine into His Blood. A
necessary item for the right understanding of this
theory is to observe what is present under either
species "by virtue of the words" of Consecration,
and what "by concomitance," according to the
theologians.
On the principle that "the sacraments effect
what they signify" there is present in the Host
by the words of Consecration the Body of Christ
and no more; and in the chalice by the formula
of Consecration the Blood and no more. But since
the Body of Christ does not exist except in union
with the rest of His sacred Humanity, wherever
the Body is, there is the whole Christ. Thus the
Body is under the species of bread in the Host by
force of the words; the Blood of Christ, His soul
and His divinity by concomitance. And similarly
of the chalice. But, in regard of what is present
by force of the words apart from concomitance,
the first Consecration places separately the Body
100 The Mass and Vestments
of Christ, the second Consecration His Blood.
This is called by theologians a "mystical" or sym-
bolical separation, and consequently a mystical or
symbolical slaying of Christ. Thus in the double
Consecration, the death of the Lord is shown
forth, although he does not actually die.
Father Gabriel Vasquez, S. J. (1551-1604)
seconded by Father John Perrone, S. J. ( 1794-
1867 ) thus presents the matter:
"Since by force of the words only the Body of
Christ is put under the species of bread, and only
His Blood under the species of wine— although
under either species the whole Christ is present
by concomitance— the Consecration of the two
separate species thus performed constitutes a
representation of that separation of the Body from
the Blood which makes death; and this represen-
tation is called a mystical separation. And the
death itself is represented; therefore it is called a
mystical slaying. Before the Consecration of the
wine the Body of Christ is not represented as dead
and immolated." (Vasquez, disp. 223, nn. 37,
45).
Very significant as bearing on this point are
the words of Cardinal Vaughan in his pastoral
for 1895:
"It is to be noted that after the Consecration
the priest addresses not one word to our Lord as
there, but addresses only God, as God in Heaven.
But at the Agnus Dei we begin to pray to
The Sacrifice of the New Law 101
Jesus Christ. This is said to be, because our Lord
is treated after the Consecration as a victim slain
and a victim is offered up, not spoken to. The
placing of the particle of the Sacred Host in the
chalice (immediately before the Agnus Dei) is
thought to represent the reunion of the Body and
Blood of our Lord in the Resurrection."
7s the Mass only a representative Sacrifice?
It is also a real sacrifice. The representative
feature of it is the clew to its essence. It would
be a repetition of the Reformers' error to say that
its essence is merely to represent or commemorate.
The essence is to be sought in the representation
of the real death of Christ on the Cross, which the
Council of Trent declares must be visible to the
Church. This visible replica lies in the Consecra-
tion of the Bread and Cup by separate acts of
Consecration which, therefore, under their distinct
and individual species represent the physical blood-
shedding of Calvary, and constitute the Mass-
essence. In recalling these facts we must avoid
the error of declaring that Christ is only figura-
tively and not really sacrificed. The sacramental
presence is a real presence, and any change that
affects that presence is a real and not merely
a symbolic condition reacting upon our Lord under
the species.
It is true that in the Mass, Christ is not really
slain, only mystically and symbolically; therefore it
would appear the Mass is not a real but only a
102 The Mass and Vestments
mystical and symbolical sacrifice, which is no "true
and proper sacrifice."
To this it may be replied, that as a sacrifice is
essentially a sign to God symbolizing His dominion
and our sinfulness, such a sign may be offered
sufficiently by a slaying which is symbolic only in
a case where the fitness of things militates against
the actual death of the victim; this is illustrated
by Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac ( Gen. XXII-10-15 ) .
Although Isaac was not actually slain, the sacri-
fice was completed by the real slaying of the
ram substituted for him. But there can be no
substitute for Christ as Victim of our Redemption.
Here Vasquez introduces an explanation which
is tenable, though in all candor it is fair to admit
it is vehemently opposed by other theologians.
He insists that the Mass is a symbol of a slaying
that has actually taken place, the symbolic rite
being performed upon the very person of the
victim there present, and admits that if Christ
had never been actually slain the objection rel-
ative to the unreality of the sacrifice would have
some weight. He concedes that the mere mysti-
cal slaying of Christ by the separate Consecration
of His Body and Blood would not be adequate for
a true and proper sacrifice, except in so far as it
represents and reenacts in symbol the actual shed-
ding of the Blood of Jesus Christ on the altar of
the Cross.
The Sacrifice of the New Law 103
Thus the Mass is a sacrifice through^the Crucifix-
ion and by representing the Crucifixion before God.
Here are the words of Vasquez:
"It is essential to a sacrifice, commemorative,
without actual shedding of blood, that it should
represent a sacrifice where there were actual shed-
ding of blood and death of the victim. Wherefore
if Christ had not died, this Sacrament would not
be a Sacrifice." ( Disp. 223. n. 47 ) .
Whilst it is true that theologians of high rank,
like De Lugo and Franzelin, reject this solution
as insufficient, the definition of Trent, J"the same
Victim and the same Offerer, only the manner of
offering being different," and St. Thomas Aquinas'
comment, "The celebration of this Sacrament is a
representative image of the Passion of Christ,
which Passion is a true immolation of Him, and
therefore the representation made in this Sacra-
ment is called an immolation of Christ," (Summa,
p. 3. q. 83, art. 1) constitute very formidable side-
lights focused on the acceptableness of Vasquez'
opinion.
His opponents said: "A commemoration is not
the thing commemorated: the commemoration of
a victory is not a victory, nor is the commemora-
tion of a sacrifice a sacrifice. The Council of
Trent formally condemns as heretical the
opinion that the Mass is but a 'bare commem-
oration of the sacrifice of the Cross' and this
opinion seems to fall within that condemnation."
104 The Mass and Vestments
Although it is true that the commemoration of
an event is not the event itself, and the Mass is
not the Crucifixion, yet the reenactment of a sign
may well be itself a sign, and a sacrifice is essen-
tially a sign to God of recognition of His domin-
ion, whilst a victory is not in the same category
with sacrifice for the reason that a victory is not
essentially a sign.
Furthermore, the Mass, notwithstanding some
varieties of theological opinion can never be only
a "bare commemoration" to any one accepting
the Real Presence. The Reformers of the six-
teenth century and their children placed bread
and wine on the altar, and any rite practiced on
these elements is fittingly described as a ''bare
commemoration" which fell within the anathema
of Trent.
But the Catholic rite, being a commemoration of
the sacrifice of Calvary, is performed upon the
very Body which was pierced and broken there
and the Blood which flowed there. The Victim
offered planned it and designed and commanded
it, and the living, present Christ is offered in it.
The right phraseology is essential here. "A
repetition of the sacrifice of Christ" is not the cor-
rect way to describe the Mass. It is a re-presen-
tation and a "re-enactment" and a "reflection" of
the sacrifice of the Cross and a mystic representa-
tion of the blood-shedding of Christ.
The sacrifice of Calvary was offered once for
The Sacrifice of the New Law 105
all. There is no need of repeating it. All the
Masses said throughout all the world shine like
moons and planets about the central sun of the
sacrifice of the Cross from which they derive their
light and sacrificial power. We are not in the
habit of calling these heavenly bodies repetitions of
the sun.
Christ Crucified, Christ in Heaven, Christ in the
Mass are the three phases of the eternal priest-
hood of our Blessed Lord. The Crucifixion is
consummated forever and abides in everlasting
efficacy. In Heaven, He makes intercession for
us. In the Mass, He comes silently and humbly
"a lamb standing as slain." In all these condi-
tions it is the same God and Man who survives
and helps eternally. That belief saves the Mass
from the emptiness and inanity of a "bare com-
memoration."
Who is the High Priest in the Sacrifice of the
Mass?
Christ, Our Lord, is the invisible High-Priest
and principal sacrificant. He, however, ordains to
be offered up by His priests, for priests alone
have the power of offering this Holy Sacrifice.
At His Last Supper, Christ gave them this ineffa-
ble power when He said to his Apostles, and, in
them to His future priests: ''Do this in com-
memoration of Me"— follow His example in the
sacrifice He had just completed. This office consti-
106 The Mass and Vestments
tutes the priest the visible representative of Christ,
ordained and commissioned by Him to perform in
His name and authority- -and as representing
Him in all the exterior part of this Holy Sacrifice.
At what time in the Mass are the Bread
and Wine changed into the Body and Blood oj
Christ?
At the Consecration in the Canon of the Mass.
Plain, unleavened bread made from wheaten flour
and water, round in form, and ordinary wine of the
grape are the provision made. At the Offertory, this
host or plain bread is offered to God; then the
wine is poured into a chalice, mixed with a little
water. It is yet bread and wine. Midway in the
Mass is the Consecration, and when the priest pro-
nounces over the bread and wine Christ's words
at the Last Supper: "This is my Body;" "This
is my Blood"— the bread and wine are changed
into the Body and Blood of Christ— a conversion
expressed by the term transubstantiation — or
the change of the substance of the bread and
wine into the substance of the Body and Blood of
Christ— all the outward, sensible qualities of the
bread and wine remaining the same as before
Consecration.
By whom is this change effected?
By the priest who offers the Mass, but in virtue
of the power and words of Christ, whom he
represents at the moment of Consecration. The
The Sacrifice of the New Law 107
grant of this power is embodied in Christ's com-
mand: "Do this in commemoration of Me." Not
of his own power then does the priest perform this
miracle. It is by the power of God, expressed by
a formula — the formula of the Last Supper, and
communicated to the priest at his ordination.
What are the ends for which Mass is said?
(1) To give God honor and glory.
(2) To thank Him for His benefits.
(3) To obtain the remission of oui sins and,
(4) All other graces and blessings through Jesus
Christ. In this quadruple purpose it agrees with
the four varieties of sacrifice in the Old Law.
God is honored and glorified for His great power
and majesty and because of His supreme dominion
over us. Whilst nominally our thanks are humili-
atingly feeble, in the Mass they are adequate be-
cause spoken for us by our Redeemer. Through
the Mass we beseech the remission of our sins and
of the punishment due to them, and the Mass
being a propitiatory sacrifice, like unto that of the
Cross, inclines the Almighty to have mercy on us
and heed the pleadings of His own Divine Son.
Though of ourselves we are undeserving of any
favor, yet because the Mass is a sacrifice of 7m-
petration and because Christ offers Himself with
us and for us to obtain what we need and what is
best for us, we have in it a most capable advocate
to make our petitions operative.
108 The Mass and Vestments
To whom is the Sacrifice of the Mass offered?
To God alone. The common and accepted state-
ment of a Mass of the Blessed Virgin, or St.
Joseph, or St. Peter means only that a Mass is
offered to God in honor of these saints to thank
Him for the graces bestowed on them in life and
the glory they now enjoy in Heaven.
For whom can a Mass be offered?
For the whole body of the Church, triumphant,
militant and suffering. Mass is offered for the
saints in Heaven in thanksgiving to God for their
salvation; for the living on earth— both just and
sinners — heretics and schismatics— -infidels and
Jews; for the souls in Purgatory for a prompt
release from their sufferings.
For what other end is Mass offered?
In the Mass, Christ continues, perpetuates and
represents on our altars the sacrifice which He
•once offered on Calvary. The Mass is a continua-
tion of the sacrifice of the Cross because Victim
and High-Priest in both cases are the same.
What are the memorable qualities oj the
Mass?
It is the most sublime and august mystery of
the Christian religion, the most ancient and con-
tinuous religious rite known to men, and the most
divine action falling within the performance of
man, for the victim and principal sacrificer are
The Sacrifice of the New Law 109
God, and the joint co-operation of the divine and
human in it— of the divine and human priesthood,
is productive of infinite honor to God, of exalted
joy to the angels and saints, of unsuspected bless-
ings for creatures and of comfort and refreshment
for the souls of the faithful departed.
Is the Mass a real and true Sacrifice?
It is, because:
(1) It is an offering of some sensible thing,
viz.: the Body and Blood of Christ under the visi-
ble appearance of bread and wine.
(2) It is offered to God; for God alone is the
terminus of the Mass.
(3) It is made through the ministry of a lawful
priest. Priests alone are the ministers of this
sacrifice.
(4) The destruction, or change of the thing
offered is effected— on the Cross, a real destruction
by the shedding of Christ's Blood and His actual
death; on the altar, a bloodless and mystical death,
as expressed in the individual Consecration of the
two different species of bread and wine.
Wherein do Theologians place the essence of
the Mass?
Vasquez (1604) derived its essence from its
figurative quality only. The sacred Body and
Blood repose on the altar by the Consecration and
they typify the Lord's bloody Sacrifice.
110 The Mass and Vestments
De Lugo (1643 ) thus writes: "Although in the
Consecration the Body of Christ is not destroyed
substantially, yet it is destroyed to human estima-
tion because it receives a lower condition, a condi-
tion which prevents it from performing bodily
functions and converts it into food. This change
suffices for a real sacrifice."
Franzelin adopts this view and thus expresses
it: "Christ by the ministry of the priest places
His Body and Blood under the species of bread and
wine, thus as it were humbling His most sacred
Humanity from its natural functions and manner
of existence to the state of food."
If this latter view, without straining, may be
interpreted as upholding the theory that the Mass
is complete by the Consecration of the bread alone,
or the wine alone, which seems questionable as
pertaining to such exalted authority, then there
is flaw in it, as such an opinion is at variance with
tradition and the practice of the Church.
What are the moot points among Catholic
Theologians?
Two:
(a) In what consists precisely the sacrificial rite
of the Mass?
(b) How precisely the Mass shows forth the
death of Christ.
In what do nearly all the Theologians now
agree?
The Sacrifice of the New Law 111
(1) The sacrificial rite of the Mass consists pre-
cisely in the Consecration.
(2) Precisely in the Consecration does the Mass
show forth the death of Christ.
7s it demonstrable that the Mass is a Sacri-
fice of the New Law?
The Old and New Testament, the Liturgies and
Tradition supply the proof that the Mass is the
sacrifice of the New Law.
What is the proof from, the Old Testament?
The Prophet Malachi says: "I have no pleasure
in you, said the Lord of hosts, and I will not re-
ceive a gift from your hand. For from the rising
of the sun even to the going down of the same
my name is great among the Gentiles, and in every
place there is sacrifice and there is offered to my
name a clean oblation; for my name is great
among the Gentiles, saith the Lord of hosts."
(Mali. 10. 11).
This text predicts three results:
(1) God will refuse to receive a gift from the
Jews, which is synonomous with His refusal to
accept their sacrifices, because "sacrifice" among
the Gentiles is contrasted with "gift" among His
chosen people, now on the eve of being repudiated
and discredited.
(2) That this clean and perfect oblation or sac-
rifice would be substituted for the sacrifices of
the Old Law.
112 The Mass and Vestments
(3) "And in every place there is sacrifice," for
this new sacrifice will not only supplant the.
Synagogue where it exists, but also be offered
among the Gentiles where it exists not.
Why is it concluded that the Mass was in the
Prophet's mind when uttering this Prophecy?
Because the sacrifice of the Mass best conforms
to these predictions.
How is the Prophecy interpreted by the
enemies of the Mass?
As if the Prophet meant the sacrifice of the
Cross, or good works.
Will it justify this interpretation?
No, because the sacrifice of the Cross was
offered once, and only in one place, whilst this
sacrifice among the Gentiles is offered in every
place, and from the rising to the setting of the
sun. Neither can it be strained to mean the re-
jection, not of Jewish gifts, but of Jewish good
works, as if He preferred the Gentile allegiance,
for the reason that God never rejects the good
works of any of His creatures.
What other vroof is supplied by the Old
Testament?
"The Lord hath sworn and He will not repent;
thou art a priest forever acccrding t j the order of
Melchisedech." ( Psalm 109. ) St. Paul ( Hebrew
VIII) comments on this text.
The Sacrifice of the New Law 113
Melchisedech offered sacrifice in bread and
wine. Christ sacrifices in the same elements only
in the Mass. The Cross was the altar of the sac-
rifice of His Body and Blood. The offering of the
same in the Mass under the semblance of bread
and wine constitutes Him "a priest forever
according to the order of Melchisedech."
And He was to be a priest forever— that is visi-
bly discharge forever the duties of a priest in the
Church. In the Mass alone, by the ministry of
His priests who act in His name and in His power
is this priesthood of Christ of the type of Melchis-
edech perpetuated.
What is the evidence of the New Testament
as to the Sacrificial character of the Mass?
At the Last Supper, in the institution of the
Blessed Eucharist, Christ made offering of the
Holy Sacrifice with His own hands. The essence
of that sacrifice reposed in the separate Con-
secration of the bread and wine, by which was
represented His mystical death. Christ said over
the bread: "This is my Body which is given for
you." (St. Luke XXII, 19). "This is my Body
which is broken for you." (1. Cor. XL XX. 24).
And over the wine: "This is my Blood of the
New Testament which is shed for many." ( St.
Matthew XXVI, 28. St. Mark XIV, 24). St. Mat-
thew adds: "Unto the remission of sins." Observe
the use of the present tense, indicating His
114 The Mass and Vestments
reference to an offering He was at that time
actually making, and not to another offering He
intended to make at a future time. In His passion
and death was the real effusion of His Blood. His
death at the Last Supper was sacramental and
mystical, and only the appearance of death, by the
independent and separate Consecration of the
bread and wine unto the remission of sins. Herein
lies all the substance of the Christian Mass.
7s there any other corroborative testimony
from the New Testament?
St. Paul thus writes: "The chalice of Bene-
diction which we bless, is it not the Communion
of the Blood of Christ? And the bread which we
break, is it not the partaking of the Body of the
Lord? Are not they that eat of the sacrifices
partakers of the altar? But the things the
heathens sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not
to God. You cannot drink the chalice of the Lord
and the chalice of devils; you cannot be partakers
of the table of the Lord and of the table of
devils." (1. Cor. X. 16. 21 ) . Herein runs all the
phrasing of sacrificial practices, and the evident
purpose of the Apostle was to set up a contrast
between the sacrifice of the Eucharist, or the Mass,
and the pagan sacrifices, a contrast which would
be unmeaning if the Eucharist or Mass be not a
veritable sacrifice.
Besides, appearing fitfully through the Epistles
The Sacrifice of the New Law 115
of the same Apostle, and with suggestive
frequency are such expressions as: "Table of the
Lord," "altar," "priest." "We have an altar,
whereof they have no power to eat who serve the
tabernacle." (Hebrews XIII, 10). All these are
the essentials, vesture and paraphernalia of a
sacrifice. An altar and a priest demand a victim
and signify a sacrifice.
"Partaking of an altar" suggests Communion.
What is the voice of the Liturgies on the
same point?
All the most ancient Liturgies, Greek, Latin,
Armenian, Syro-Chaldaic, Ethiopian and Coptic
attest the origin of the Mass as dating from the
age of Christ and the Apostles, and are full of
expressions which convey the idea of sacrifice.
What is the tradition regarding the Mass?
There are two distinct phases of this tradition —
one extending from the beginning and running
down to the rise of Protestantism in the sixteenth
century; the other, from that epoch until the
present. The special characteristic of the first
period is a simple and abiding faith in the identity
of the sacrifice of the Mass with the sacrifice of
the Cross. There was no theory or speculation
about it. Early Fathers and medieval theologians
assume this sameness between the two sacrifices
as a first and self-evident principle, because re-
vealed by God and taught by His Church.
116 The Mass and Vestments
Thomassin voices this universal acceptance in the
century after the Reformation, when he says:
"If it be established that the sacrifice of the
Eucharist is the same as that of the Cross, it will
be proved by the same means that in the Eucharist
a true sacrifice is offered (for no one ever
questioned the sacrifice of the Cross)." (De In-
carnatione Verbi, 1. 10. C. 17).
Therefore, to St. Ignatius Martyr, St. Cyprian,
St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Ambrose, St. Chrysos-
tom, St. Augustine, Pope Gregory the Great and
a host of other witnesses, whose testimony is re-
corded, the Mass is but the offering day by day,
and often in the day, under the Sacramental veil,
of the Divine Victim, once for all immolated on
the altar of the Cross.
What is characteristic of the second period
of this Tradition?
It was a time of speculation, theorizing and
earnest investigation of all questions pertaining
to the nature of the sacrifice of the Mass itself.
In the ages of Faith the dominant note was to
accept without question the altar as another Cal-
vary, whereon was perpetuated the tragedy of the
Cross. With the incoming of Protestantism, the
very sacrificial character of the Eucharist was
controverted, and as this dissent had to be met on
its own grounds, theologians were forced to define
the term "sacrifice" and prove that the Mass ful-
The Sacrifice of the New Law 117
filled this definition and contained within itself all
the requirements of a sacrifice.
Who led the assault against the Doctrine of
the Eucharistic Sacrifice?
John Calvin, of Geneva, the ablest and most
astute of all the Reformers.
What was the nature of his attack?
He argued that if it be a sacrifice, "then the
victim which is offered must be immolated; there-
fore, if Christ is sacrificed in every Mass He must
be cruelly put to death every moment in a
thousand different places." Insisting on the essen-
tial nature of sacrifice, he denied that it can be
unbloody and retain the name.
Who answered this objection and how?
Cardinal Bellarmine ( De Controversiis ch. XXV)
by replying that Christ is offered in the Mass, not
in specie propria, or in his own human form,
but under the form of bread and wine, and that
the destruction is such as befits a victim offered
under this guise. His contention was that con-
suming or manducation, not slaying or the shed-
ding of blood, lay at the root of the thought of
destruction in the Mass. There has been a very
recent revival of the same theory, which is known
as the Banquet theory of sacrifice, as if the
destruction or immolation implied in sacrifice was
effected by Communion alone.
118 The Mass and Vestments
What may be said of the completeness of
this answer?
It seems to be inconclusive, because, unless the
definition of sacrifice be recast there is no warrant
for the statement that the eating of all, or any
portion of the victim offered in sacrifice partakes
of the character of a sacrificial destruction. The
immolation to God came first. Therein lies the
whole gist of the sacrifice. The feasting of man
came after the real sacrifice and was no essential
part of it.
How should the objection be met?
By insisting there is a destruction or change in
the thing offered.
Who first taught this essential of a Chris-
tian Sacrifice?
Albert the Great, who taught St. Thomas
Aquinas. He writes: "Hence it includes two
things: a victim slain, and the offering of it." (4.
S. D. XIII. a. 23.)
Who is credited with it?
St. Thomas Aquinas, who says: "That is prop-
erly a sacrifice when something is done to the
thing offered, as when animals were slain and
burnt, and bread is broken and eaten and blessed.
It is called an offering simply when a gift is made
to God and nothing is done to it, as money or
The Sacrifice of the New Law 119
bread is said to be offered when merely placed on
the altar. Hence every sacrifice is an offering,
but not conversely." (Q. 85, a. 3).
Wherein is the destruction or change essen-
tial to a Christian Sacrifice?
Following the guidance of St. Thomas, as above
foreshadowed, St. Liguori placed it in the Conse-
cration and Communion jointly, with the larger
share to the Consecration. The almost unanimous
opinion of theologians, however, reposes it in the
Consecration alone, because therein by the miracle
of Transubstantiation and the consequent destruc-
tion of the substance of the bread and wine lie all
the requirements of a sacrifice.
Bellarmine and De Lugo are lined up with
Liguori and insist upon Communion as the final
destruction of the victim akin to the fire in the holo-
caust. In the sense that it is of divine appoint-
ment, the Communion of the celebrant is however
essential to the Mass and cannot even by the
Church be dispensed with. The Mass was insti-
tuted to provide a sacrifice and furnish a sacra-
ment. The Consecration is the sacrifice; the
Communion the sacrament.
What then would be a sufficient reply to the
Reformers' objection?
(1) "For as it is appointed unto men once to die,
so also Christ was offered once to exhaust the sins
120 The Mass and Vestments
of many — and by one oblation He hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified." ( Heb. IX. 27, 28. )
"I am first and last and the living One; I was
dead and behold I am alive for evermore."
( Apocal. I. 19. )
The sacrifice of Calvary will never have a fellow
alike in every respect. His real death can never
be repeated. His passion and death, once for all,
by the fullness of their ransom, met all the exac-
tions of God's justice with reference to sinners
for all time. Whilst that sacrifice was infinitely
meritorious, exceeding all possible demands, the
sacrifice of the Mass is necessary for the applica-
tion to individual souls of that affluence of expia-
tory merit, of which the Death on the Cross was
the cause. The Church has always taught that
the immolation in the Mass is but figurative and
commemorative, though real, of the unrepeated
and unrepeatable sacrifice of the Cross, and the
destruction indispensable to sacrifice is realized in
the mystic, moral and veiled death as represented
by the separate Consecration of the bread and
wine. Thus the Mass is both the shadow and
reality of Calvary. The real death which forbids
renewal is mysteriously renewed in the Mass and
its fruits given to human souls, not only because
the death once endured is inexhaustible in its
power to sanctify and save, but also because to
God, who knows neither a yesterday nor to-mor-
row, that death is always an ever-present reality.
The Sacrifice of the New Law 121
(2) Cajetan, the commentator of St. Thomas,
and the last of the medievalists observes: "In the
New Testament the sacrifice is not repeated but
the one victim once offered continues in the state
of immolation." The Death of the Cross is con-
tinued in the Mass, which is therefore the show-
ing forth of the Lord's death until He comes.
(3) Melchior Canus thus discourses: "Let us
concede the point that a perfect immolation de-
mands a slain victim. We believe this to be
essential to a true sacrifice. Now (they will
argue ) we offer a living and breathing victim, for
the Body in the Eucharist is one and the same
with that which is in Heaven. Granted. But
though Christ's Body in the Eucharist has life in
it and the Blood is in the Body, it is not offered as
having life in it, nor is the Blood offered as in the
Body. The Body is offered as slain and the Blood
as shed on the Cross. If the Victim of
Calvary were to hang on the Cross before
the eyes of the faithful in every place and
time, we should need no memorial and rep-
resentation of it. But because that visible im-
molation, done and over with, is yet so acceptable
to God and is as meritorious to-day as when Blood
flowed from the Saviour's open side, therefore, do
we truly offer now the same sacrifice. For us
Christ renews the sacrifice after a symbolic
fashion and sets it before us in a transcript of it.
But this symbolism does not at all stand in the
122 The Mass and Vestments
way of our offering the self -same Blood shed on
the Cross, just as if it were now being poured
forth before our eyes." (De Locis Theol. 1 ib.
XII, c. 12).
7s Christ sacrificed in Heaven coincidently
with the Mass?
No, there can be no sacrifice in Heaven.
We must always bear in mind that it is not the
glorified Body of Christ that is in any wise phy-
sically affected, but Christ in the Sacrament who
is sacrificed.
What is the office of Christ as mediator in
Heaven?
To apply to individual souls the price of the
ransom wrought in His Crucifixion. He pleads
with the wounds of His Sacred Humanity and by
the life that was laid down and taken up again
for the salvation of the redeemed.
Bibliography: The Eternal Sacrifice, Pere de Condren,
New York, 1906; Moral Theology, Gury, de Ligouri, Peter
Dens, Franzelin, De Lugo, Vasquez, Bellarmine, De Con-
troversiis; Bible Dictionary, Hastings, Scribners; De Locis
Theol., Melchior Canus; The Sacrifice of the Mass, Dr.
Alex. Mac Donald, V. G., New York, 1905; Histoire du
Sacrifice de la Messe, Vacant, Paris, 1896; Catechism,
Doctrinal, Moral, Historical and Liturgical, Rev. Patrick
Power, Dublin, 1905; Hierurgia, Dr. Rock; American
Eccles. Review, Sept., 1905; Irish Eccl. Record, March,
1906; New York Review, Dec- Jan., 1906; The Holy
Eucharist, Bishop Hedley, 1907; Cambridge Conferences,
1899, Joseph Rickaby, S. J.
CHAPTER IX.
THE MASS.
By what names was the Holy Sacrifice desig-
nated in the Ancient Liturgical Books and in
the Writings oj the Fathers of the Church?
(1) Its most ancient name is that given in the
Acts of the Apostles (ch. XX. v. 7) the "Break-
ing of the Bread."
(2) In the second, third and subsequent cen-
turies it was called the Collects or Synaxis, because
the faithful were gathered together as one body
or congregation to celebrate it.
(3) The name Dominicum was given to it,
because it was a most august function by virtue
of the institution of Christ and the precept of the
Church.
(4) Liturgia it was called; that is a public
ministry, because its celebration is a function
eminently public and the centre of all Catholic
worship.
(5) Toward the end of the third century or
beginning of the fourth, the term Mass began
to be applied to it in the Latin church.
Who among the Fathers oj the Church first
used this name?
St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan (397). His re-
ference to it under this appellation suggests, not
124 The Mass and Vestments
the coining of a new word, but a traditional desig-
nation for it in general vogue before his time.
Why were these strained and indefinite
titles applied to the Sacrifice of the Eucharist?
Because it was an age of persecution, and on
account of Pagan unwillingness or incapacity to
comprehend the true nature of the sacrifice. As
a safeguard against hostile trespass and violence,
the strictest discipline of secrecy was enforced
and these names were employed to conceal the
true nature of the holy mysteries from the unini-
tiated, whether friend or foe.
What is the origin of the word Mass?
Liturgical writers are not agreed as to its
origin. Some derive it from the Hebrew Massah,
a debt or obligation; others from the Greek,
Myesis, initiation, and others from an obsolete
Mes or Messe which among the Scandanavians
signified a banquet, and sometimes a sacrifice.
The majority, however, favor its derivation
from the Latin Missa or Missio, a dismissal,
referring to the custom in the Christian Church
of the first six centuries, when the Disciplina
Arcani or Discipline of the Secret prevailed, of
dismissing the Catechumens and Public Penitents
after the gospel and sermon and before the more
solemn part of divine service began. This two-
fold dismissal of the Catechumens and Public Peni-
tents at the beginning of the Mass, and of the
The Mass 125
faithful at the end, with the invitation, "Ite,
Missa est" (go, it is the dismissal) gave the
name of Missae or Missiones ( dismissals ) to the
service. From the same cause is also derived the
division known as the "Mass of the Cate-
chumens," and the "Mass of the Faithful," the
former extending from the beginning to the
Offertory, the latter from the Offertory to the end.
Missa as here used is not a participle of mitto,
but a later Latin substantive synonomous with
missio or dismissal.
By what names was the Mass known among
the Greeks?
It was called Mystagogia, because a participa-
tion in sacred mysteries; Synaxis or union with
the Saviour; Anaphora, a lif ter-up of minds and
hearts to God; Eulogia from its propitiatory
character; Hierurgia, a sacred function; Myster-
ion, because of the mysteries it contained; Deipnon
or banquet, where Christ is consumed; Agathon or
good by excellence; Teleion or perfection, as
describing the spotlessness of the Victim; Pros-
phora, guide to a happy eternity. These names
are obsolete now and are found only in the sacred
writings of the Greek Fathers of the early Church.
Contemporaneously and exclusively the Mass in
the entire East is now called Liturgia.
Who celebrated the first Mass?
There is limited agreement among specialists
126 The Mass and Vestments
that the first Mass was offered by St. Peter, on
Pentecost, in the same cenacle where the Last
Supper was held.
Is the opinion unanimous regarding its
celebration on Pentecost?
The Venerable Mary d' Agreda, the Spanish
Franciscan nun, assigns the day of the octave of
the Feast, but the most common and probable
opinion selects the very day on which the Holy
Ghost descended. Did He come before or after
the Consecration? Theophile Reynaud asserts He
came after the Communion of the faithful, and
St. Proclus, Patriarch of Constantinople, inclines
to the opinion that He descended before the Con-
secration.
Why was not the first Mass offered until
Pentecost?
(1) Because it was desirable to receive the full-
ness of the Holy Spirit before offering so holy a
sacrifice.
(2) Because the complete abrogation of the Old
Law as to its priesthood was not consummated till
Pentecost, and, therefore, it was inexpedient to
introduce the new priesthood and sacrifice until
that time. The Acts of the Apostles (Acts II,
42, 46) seems to confirm this opinion, for we
read therein, that before the descent of the Holy
Ghost the Apostles "were all persevering with one
The Mass 127
mind in prayer," and after the descent, "the
breaking of bread" — the celebration of Holy Com-
munion and the Mass, inf erentially, are mentioned.
What was the language of the first Mass?
Three languages were in vogue in Judea in the
years of Christ; Syro-Chaldaic, Greek and Latin.
Syro-Chaldaic supplanted the ancient Hebrew after
the Babylonian Captivity ( 586 B. C. ) as the ver-
nacular. Greek became the official language after
the conquest of Alexander the Great (332 B. C. )
and through the dynasty of the Seleucidae. The
Latin tongue followed the Roman legions under
Pompey the Great (63 B. C.) and Crassus (55
B. C.) when they had wrested Palestine from the
Greek dominion. The Syro-Chaldaic, or Syriac,
or Aramaic, from Aram the fifth son of Shem,
was demonstrably the ordinary, everyday language
of our Blessed Lord. His gospel utterances like
' 'Ephphetha, " be thou opened, ' 'Efoi, Eloi lamma
sabacthani" — My God, My God, why hast Thou
forsaken me, Abba, Haceldama, Golgotha, Mam-
mon, Messias, Satan, Raca, Cephas, Martha,
Tabitha belong to the Syriac.
Eck, the German scholar, in the sixteenth
century contended that the first and subsequent
Masses for a time were said everywhere in
Hebrew. The majority of the liturgical experts,
however, dissent emphatically from this view and
favor the theory that the first Mass in different
128 The Mass and Vestments
localities followed the local language — Syriac in
Jerusalem; Greek at Antioch, Athens andJAlex-
andria; Latin at Rome and in France and Spain
and throughout the Roman dominion in the
West.
It is, however, impossible to demonstrate with
any certainty whether the Apostles adapted the
sacrifice to the language of the nations to whom
they preached, or offered it in the Aramaic, Greek
or Latin tongue.
That these three languages, consecrated by
their use in the inscription on the Cross of the
Redeemer, were generally employed during the
first four centuries is proved by the fact that all
the Liturgies of that period are written only in
these languages.
What Language was first in use in the
Roman Church?
It is very probable that the Roman Church
used the Greek language in the Mass until the
third century. Vestiges of this usage are extant
in ancient and contemporaneous Liturgies. Many
of the terms in use in the service of the altar
belong to that language, as, for instance, acolyth,
deacon, presbyter or priest, episcopus or bishop,
canon, baptism, Eucharist. In unison with these
vestiges is also the custom in our day of chanting
the Epistle and Gospel both in Latin and Greek in
a solemn Pontifical Mass at which the Pope is
The Mass 129
celebrant, and of singing the Passion of our Lord
in Greek on Good Friday in the Papal chapel.
From the third and fourth centuries the Latin
tongue was in general use in the Church through-
out the entire West, which comprised Italy, Spain,
Gaul, Germany and the British Isles.
In how many different Languages is the
Mass of to-day Celebrated?
Twelve — Latin, Greek, Syriac, Chaldaic, Slav-
onic, Arabic, Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopic, Ruthen-
ian, Bulgarian and Roumanian.
Where is Latin used?
In the entire Western Church and in a few
localities in the East. Latin has been the speech
of the Church since its infancy and is therefore a
sort of mother tongue.
Where is Greek used?
Among the Uniats, or Melchite Catholics of the
East and West who are residents in Syria, Jerusa-
lem, Russia, Greece, Europe and America. The
Uniats are the followers of the Greek Liturgy
who accept the jurisdiction and bow to the
authority of the Holy Roman See. The Schis-
matic Greeks rejoice in the title "Holy Orthodox
Church of the East," and the Church of Rome
humors their vanity or prejudice by calling those
of the Greek communion who desert it for
Rome, Uniats, or those united. They are also cal-
130 The Mass and Vestments
led Melchites from the Syriac Malko, a king, a
title used for the first time at the Council of
Chalcedon (451) to distinguish the orthodox wing
led by the Emperor Marcian. Its synonym in
the West is Papist. These Uniats have three
Patriarchs resident respectively at Antioch, Alex-
andria and Jerusalem.
In addition to the Greek Tongue, what else
does Rome alloiv?
Rome permits the Melchite Catholics to use the
three Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom, St. Basil,
and the Presanctified; to consecrate the Holy
Eucharist in leavened bread; give Communion
under both species; say the Creed without the
"Filioque;" pour warm water into the chalice after
Consecration, and their clergy to marry. This lat-
ter concession needs to be thus qualified: —neither
the so-called Orthodox Greek Church nor the
Uniats allow marriage in Sacred Orders, which
include the Diaconate and Priesthood. Within
those sacred precincts it is permitted to no one to
marry. A wife, however, wedded prior to the
acceptance of the Diaconate need not be discarded,
even though the husband go on to the priesthood.
If she die before her husband, he cannot wed
again without renunciation of his ministry. The
members of the Greek hierarchy are always
celibates and chosen from the monks. The prac-
tice of celibacy in the Church is an item, not of
The Mass 131
Divine law, but of ecclesiastical discipline, and
therefore a subject of Church adaptation to local
or racial conditions. By Papal mandate the privi-
lege of marrying is denied the Graeco-Italians.
Where is the Syriac Language in use?
Among the Syrian Melchites of the East and
the Maronites of Mount Lebanon. These latter
are known as the "Eastern Papists," so intense is
their loyalty to Rome, and derive their name
either from a holy monk, St. Maro, who lived the
life of a recluse in the Lebanon range, or ' 'Moran"
(our Lord). Their Liturgy is the very ancient
one of St. James, and their language, very prob-
ably, that of Christ and His Blessed Mother and
the most of the Apostles. In deference to their
antiquity and as a reward of their faithfulness the
Maronites are privileged to retain all their primi-
tive customs. They use incense at Low and High
Mass, unleavened bread in the Holy Eucharist like
to the Western Church, give Communion under
both forms, except to the sick, read the Gospel in
Arabic, the vernacular, after its Syriac reading,
and elect their Patriarch by popular ballot to be
sanctioned afterwards by Rome.
Where is the Chaldaic Language permitted?
Among the Babylonian Catholics, who are re-
claimed from the Nestorians, and inhabit chiefly
Mesopotamia, Armenia, Kurdistan, and whose
Patriarch, with the title of "Babylonia," resides at
132 The Mass and Vestments
Bagdad. These Nestorians, from Nestorms, a
Syrian Patriarch of Constantinople, a heresiarch,
in the fifth century, are the most numerous
Christian body in the East. Although they in-
dignantly repudiate the name, it has clung to
them since the General Council of Ephesus (431)
condemned Nestorius for teaching that two per-
sons tenanted the God-Man, Christ — a Divine and
a human — instead of the true doctrine then and
there proclaimed, of a single Divine person, and
also because he denied the title of "Mother of
God" to the Blessed Virgin.
Where is the Slavonic Language allowed?
Among all those of the Slavonic nation who are
in communion with Rome, whether found in
Turkey, Russia, Istria, Liburnia or on the seacoast
of old Dalmatia. The privilege of a vernacular
Liturgy was granted by Pope Adrian II ( 867 ) to
prevent the Christian converts of SS. Cyril and
Methodius from seceding to the Greek schismatics
-confirmed afterwards by John VIII (872), In-
nocent IV (1248) and Benedict XIV (1740). Leo
XIII, through the Congregation of Rites (1898)
decreed that only those churches, not individuals,
could use the Slavic language where it had been
in uninterrupted use for at least thirty years; that
Latin and Slavic are to be taught in the seminaries,
and that the language herein permitted is not the
common vernacular ( Slavica vulgaris) , which may
The Mass 133
be employed in preaching, but the Palaeo-Slavic
or ancient tongue. It is also called the Glagolitic
dialect from Glagol, the liturgical alphabet of the
Illyrian, Croatian and Dalmatian Slavs, in use
since the ninth century, and older than the Cyril-
lic alphabet which superseded it.
Where is the Armenian Language found?
Among the Roman Armenians of Armenia or
Turkomania, Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Turkey,
Georgia, Greece, Africa, Italy, Russia and America.
The Armenians, like the Maronites, use un-
leavened bread in the Holy Eucharist. Their
choicest liturgical books are published and printed
by the monks of the celebrated Armenian monas-
tery on the island of San Lazaro, Venice.
The majority of Armenians are Monophysites
( monos, one and physis, nature ) after Eutyches,
who taught there was only one nature in Christ,
the Divine, an error condemned in the General
Council of Chalcedon (451). They are called
Jacobites in Syria and throughout the East from
James Baradai, a prominent reformer. Because
the water mixed with wine of the Mass typifies
Christ's humanity, these heretical Armenians dis-
card its use to emphasize their doctrine that the
Saviour's Divine nature absorbed every trace of
His human nature.
Who are the Copts?
They are the Christian descendants of the
134 The Mass and Vestments
ancient Egyptians, unmixed with Arabic blood,
speaking a language which they maintain runs
back to the Pharaohs.
How do they come by their name?
Very probably it is an abbreviation of the
Greek Aegyptioi (Egyptians).
Religiously, how are the Copts divided?
Into Monophysites, the larger number who are
both heretical and schismatic, c.nd Roman Copts,
who within a few years have returned to the
Church in annually increasing numbers.
How many Liturgies or Mass Formulas
have the Copts?
Twelve altogether. Nine have gone into disuse
and only three— of St. Basil, St. Cyril and St.
Gregory, are in practical use.
What is the Language of these Liturgies?
Ancient Coptic.
Wliere is the Ethiopic Language found?
It is the liturgical language of the modern Abys-
sinians, who in discipline and church customs
approximate the Copts. Like them the vast
majority are still Monophysites, and only a frag-
ment has been converted.
It is worthy of mention that among the schis-
matic East the Abyssinian ordinations are alone
adjudged doubtful. This requires that a priest
The Mass 135
convert be reordained sub conditione. Essen-
tially, however, the Abyssinian ritual and ordina-
tion is accepted as valid, and followed strictly con-
fers legitimate Orders. Carelessness in the officiat-
ing bishop or Abouna is responsible for making
the ritual supposedly inoperative.
Where are the other languages in use?
Arabic— In Syria and Egypt in only a quasi-
liturgical sense.
Ruthenian— Among the Ruthenians and Russ-
maks, a branch of the great Slavic race, sharply
defined from the Muscovites or Russians proper
by their language, character and customs. They
inhabit Galicia, North Hungary, Podolia, Volhynia
and Lithuania.
Bulgarian— In Bulgaria, which is an autono-
mous principality tributary to Turkey and bounded
by the Danube, Black Sea, Servia and the Balkan
range.
Rumanian— In Rumania, which comprises two
States, Moldavia and Wallachia, called the Danu-
bian Principalities. In the seventeenth century
many Rumanians entered the Roman Church and
by tacit consent, rather than by formal decree,
were permitted the use of their vernacular in the
Liturgy. In all this lingual variety, the Rumanian
is the only tongue in modern usage employed in
the Liturgy.
136 The Mass and Vestments
Are all these various languages really Ver-
naculars in daily use?
Except the Rumanian and Arabic, all the
liturgical languages above mentioned are not the
every-day speech of the respective nationalities.
Some of them are so ignorant of the language of
their Liturgies that the rubrics must be printed in
another language, as for instance the Copts,
whose Missal and ritual are annotated with direc-
tions in modern Arabic. In each instance, the
language of the Mass and the altar and the sacra-
ments is an ancient idiom frozen into unchanging
permanency, because it is the vehicle and organ
of an immutable Church and sacrifice and ministry,
and although once the popular speech, it has
lagged behind, whilst the laws of growth govern-
ing all spoken tongues have carried their modern
namesakes far afield from this archaic, sacrificial
and sacramental language. It is therefore true,
that these supposed vernaculars may be as unintelli-
gible to the races whose names they bear as Latin
among an English-speaking people.
Mention other precedents for the use of un-
known tongues?
The Jews always sing the praises of Jehovah
in ancient Hebrew, which has been a dead classic
for long ages. So unfamiliar are the people with
it, that Targums or translations have been pub-
lished to instruct them in its meaning.
The Mass 137
The Arabic of the Koran — a diction of un-
approachable purity and melody — is a dead lan-
guage for the Mahometan masses, and yet a
translation of it into modern Arabic is proscribed
as a trespass on its inviolable sacredness.
Among the Hindoos, the sacred book of the
Veda is a sealed fountain save to the learned
Brahmins.
The people of Java, Indo-China, Ceylon, Bali,
Madura and the Japanese worshippers of Lama
employ in their Pagan rites a language known as
Bali, a dialect of the Sanscrit, a dead tongue for
many years.
Why does the Church of Rome use the Latin
Language?
(1 ) It was the speech of her infancy— her mother
tongue — the primitive expression of her teaching.
As her doctrine is inflexible and unalterable, and
her love of her own ancient days fervent and per-
severing, as may be witnessed in many details of
her ceremonial, the preservation of the Latin is
advisable and necessary. Its sharp-cut accuracy
and defmiteness of meaning, fixed in an unchang-
ing death, as it were, makes it a peculiarly felici-
tous medium for the scientific and dogmatic
enunciation of doctrine. There is none of the
looseness nor demoralization of the spoken tongue,
where the decent word of to-day is by a public
depraved taste often made the vehicle of the in-
decent suggestion of to-morrow.
138 The Mass and Vestments
(2) The Church demands uniformity in her
sacrificial and sacramental life. Her ideal is pos-
sible only by the use of a common language.
(3) A oneness of faith and belief is promoted
by a oneness of tongue. A uniform language
begets a uniformity of thought and thought-pro-
cesses. Sameness of language creates a bond of
union and a point of contact between different
nationalities. East and West might not be di-
vorced to-day if Rome had cast the Oriental
Liturgies in Latin. The use of a national tongue
lends itself to the disintegration of national
churches. The same Mass in the same identical
language throughout the West gives the wanderer
a home-feeling in the Church, and establishes ties
akin to those of a common lineage and encourages
devotion and attention at the Mass.
(4) The preservation and use of the Latin has
made accessible and serviceable for multitudes
speaking a variety of tongues a vast and valuable
collection of literary treasures in Pagan and
Christian learning.
By what names is the Mass designated?
The Mass is known as a Solemn High Mass,
Simple High Mass, Low Mass, Conventual Mass,
Bridal or Nuptial Mass, Golden Mass, Private Mass,
Solitary Mass, Votive Mass, Dry Mass, Two and
Three-faced Mass, Evening and Midnight Mass,
Mass of the Presanctified, Mass of Requiem and
Mass of Judgment.
The Mass 139
What is a Solemn High Mass?
A Mass in which the Celebrant is assisted by
deacon, sub-deacon and the other servers. It is
called High because chanted in a high tone. It is
sometimes called Grand because of its ceremonial
display and the use of incense.
When celebrated by a bishop and privileged
prelates it is called a Pontifical Mass.
What is a Simple High Mass?
A Mass chanted like the Solemn Mass and, there-
fore, sometimes called Missa Cantata (chanted
Mass) but by a celebrant unassisted by deacon
and sub-deacon and without incense.
What is a Low Mass?
A Mass devoid of all solemnity, said by a priest
in a low tone of voice, whence its name, to dis-
tinguish it from the High Mass, which is always
sung. Exclusive of the silent parts of the service,
it is read by the priest in an ordinary tone, alone
or assisted by a server who makes the responses
and waits on the celebrant.
What is a Conventual Mass?
The Mass which the rector and canons of a
Cathedral are obliged to say daily after Tierce—
the canonical hour of the divine Office. This is
the strict interpretation of the term. In a general
way, it is also the Mass said in a Convent where
the Blessed Sacrament is kept, and in rural
140 The Mass and Vestments
churches having the same privilege. It is also
called Canonical, Public, Common and Major be-
cause of its distinct privileges over ordinary
Masses. It is also synonomous with the Parochial
Mass which is offered for the people on Sundays
and Holydays, fixed by Urban VIII ( 1642 ).
What is a Bridal or Nuptial Mass?
The Mass known in the Missal as "Pro Sponso
et Sponsa" — for bridegroom and bride— offered
for a newly married couple for a happy and fruit-
ful union. It is privileged in the sense that it
may take precedence over feasts of higher rank,
and is peculiar in some of its features. After the
"Pater Noster" and before the last blessing, the
current of the Mass is interrupted by special
prayers recited over the attending couple.
What is a Golden Mass (Missa Aurea ) ?
The Solemn High Mass formerly celebrated on
the Wednesdays "of the Ember days of Advent,
in honor of the Mother of God, with an unusual
ceremonial and choral display. The participants
were the bishop and his canons and the members
of the religious communities of the locality.
Costly favors were distributed among the people
who assisted at it. The church of St. Gudule in
Brussels, Belgium, still retains this Mass, which is
said on December 23, whilst some vestiges of it
may be witnessed in a few of the churches of
Germany.
The Mass 141
Gavantus attributes the name to the letters of
gold which describe the Mystery, in whose honor
the Mass was offered.
What is a Private Mass?
Rubrically, a Private Mass is a Low Mass as
distinguished from a High Mass. By a stricter
usage, it signifies a Mass in which the celebrant
alone communicates, and it receives its name
because it is celebrated in a private oratory or
chapel, to which the people have not access. The
Reformers denied the legitimacy of this Mass and
denounced it as a novelty and an innovation.
Cardinal Bona demonstrates that it was the
practice of the early Church, and the Council of
Trent ( Session 22, chap. 6 ) besides declaring that
no Mass is strictly private, for the reason that it is
the official act of a public minister of the Church
performed in the name and for the benefit of all
the faithful, also decreed (Session 22, Chap. 8)
"If any one shall say that those Masses in which
only the priest communicates sacramentally are
illicit, and that hence they should be abolished, let
him be anathema."
What is a Solitary Mass?
For many years the custom prevailed among
the inmates of monasteries of saying Mass alone,
without server or attendant. This was called a
Solitary Mass. It is now prohibited to offer Mass
without a server, except in special countries, like
142 The Mass and Vestments
the United States, where the privileges are
broad enough to include a Mass, "without a server,
in the open and under the earth, always, however,
in a becoming place."
What is a Votive Mass?
The rubrics of the Missal prescribe a unanimity
between the Mass and Office of the day within
special limitations. A Mass which differs from the
Office is called Votive, and is thus designated, be-
cause said in accordance with the desire (votwn) ,
or intention of the celebrant, or member of the
laity. It cannot be said save for reasonable cause
and on days of minor rite, except in the case of
Solemn Votive Masses — in re gravi — as for
example, of the Most Blessed Sacrament in the
devotion of the Forty Hours, or a serious
emergency or circumstance. A permissive and
wholly adequate reason for a Votive Mass is the
special devotion of celebrant, or participant for
some particular Mystery or saint.
What is meant by the Divine Office of the
Day?
A collection of prayers and lessons recited by
persons in Sacred Orders as matter of serious
obligation, unless dispensed, at specific hours
every day. Substantially, it harks back to Apos-
tolic times. It is also called "Canonical Hours,"
"Ecclesiastical Office," "Canonical Office" and
"Breviary," {breve, short), because it embodies a
The Mass 143
pithy epitome of the Old and the New Testament,
extracts from the Fathers and biographies of the
saints. It is divided into seven hours: Matins
and Lauds, Prime, Tierce, Sext, None, Vespers
and Complin.
Why must the Mass conform to the Office?
Because:
(a) Each day by the desire of the Church is
dedicated to the honor of some saint, or the
memory of some Mystery or divine work. That
a complete service may be rendered, all the daily
sacred functions, like the Office and Mass, are united
to pay a full tribute of praise and honor.
(b) The Office is a preparation for Mass, dispos-
ing the recitant to that attentive and devout
mind which is necessary for its proper offering.
What is a Dry Mass?
A Mass in which there is neither Consecration
nor consumption of either sacred species. Colloqui-
ally, it is the Mass of the Ordinandi (those
awaiting ordination) said before the reception of
Holy Orders to familiarize them with the proper
celebration of the Mass. Historically, it was a
serious service, long in vogue, which seems to
have gone into disuse more by universal consent
than special prohibition. There was always the
danger of confounding it with the real Mass, and
the further menace of supplanting it, because of
the exemption of the Dry Mass from many of the
144 The Mass and Vestments
restrictions of time and place which impede the
genuine Mass. It was also called Nautical ( Navilis)
because usually said on shipboard, where often
the disturbance of the elements made a real Mass
impossible. It was also the consolation of the
restrained sick, and prisoners barred from church
attendance. It was sometimes offered in the
evening or night for the repose of a soul just
departed. It was customary to use all the sacred
vestments. The bread and wine, chalice and
prayers special to Offertory and Consecration
were ommitted. All others, including the "Pre-
face" and the last blessing were allowed.
Pastor, in his "History of the Popes" (Vol. VII,
p. 298, note) attributes this Missa Sicca, Dry
Mass, to a struggle for a proper maintenance on
the part of the lower clergy in Germany prior to
the Reformation.
What is a Two-faced or Three-faced Mass?
Missa bifaciata, trifaciata (two-faced, three-
faced) was another subterfuge, a cunning device
to meet the wants of a needy or avaricious clergy
by only a partially multiple celebration to secure
the additional honoraria, and yet escape the
penalties of the Church inflicted on those who
frequently celebrated on the same day. It was a
Mass repeated two or three times to the Offertory
for a variety of intentions, to be concluded finally
with one Canon, Consecration and Communion.
The Mass 145
What is Evening Mass (Missa Vespertina)?
A Mass peculiar to Africa, as late as the fifth
century, said by a priest, who was not fasting, on
the evening of Holy Thursday, in memory of the
institution of the Holy Eucharist.
Akin to this was a limited custom of celebrat-
ing Mass, by a fasting or non-fasting priest, at
any hour whether of day or night when one of
the faithful died. Councils of Carthage, Africa,
and Braga, Portugal, condemned the custom.
What is Evening Mass in the Eastern
Church?
A Mass frequently and legitimately offered by
a non-fasting minister for the sake of consecrat-
ing a Host to be given as a Viaticum to the dying.
The same is customary among the Copts. This
belated Mass is necessary among all Orientals who
use leavened bread in the Eucharist, as the
Blessed Sacrament is not reserved in the Taber-
nacle as with us, because of the danger of fer-
mentation and corruption.
What is Mid-night Mass?
A Mass permitted in many chapels and oratories
for the Christmas celebration. Because of abuses,
the general public is excluded from the privilege.
In the era of persecution, nightly Masses were the
rule, and for many centuries a mid-night Mass
was the adjunct of many festivals, which alone
146 The Mass and Vestments
survives with us at Christmas, and among the
Russians at Easter.
What is the Mass of the Presanctified in the
Roman Church?
The Mass said on Good Friday only.
Whence does it derive its name?
"Presanctified" signifies "consecrated before,"
and is employed to describe a Mass in which there
is no Consecration of either element, and the Host
consumed was consecrated on the day before, or
Holy Thursday.
What is the Mass of the Presanctified in the
Gh°eek Church?
A Mass offered on every day in Lent except
Saturdays, Sundays and the Feast of Annunciation,
wherein the Host consumed was consecrated in a
previous Mass.
When did this custom originate in the Greek
Church?
It originated, at least, with the Council of
Laodicea (314).
Is Communion given at the same Mass in the
Greek Church?
Yes.
What is a Mass of Requiem?
A Mass celebrated for the dead, to cancel or
The Mass 147
shorten the sum of their indebtedness to God's
justice, because of the sins of those who ulti-
mately will be, and prospectively are saved.
Purgatory, therefore, not Hell, is the exclusive
goal of all its supplications and mitigations. Hell
and its victims lie beyond even the infinite pur-
view of a Mass.
Hoiv many kinds of Requiem Masses are
there?
The Requiem of November Second, All Souls;
Requiem on the occasion of a death, or a death and
burial; a Third Day Requiem, three days after
death or burial, in memory of Christ's tenancy
of the tomb;a Seventh Day Requiem, because
Joseph was mourned seven days by the Israelites;
a Thirty Day Requiem, which stands for the days
of Israel's mourning for Moses and Aaron; an
Anniversary Requiem on the annual day of death
or burial; the Daily Requiem (Missa Quotidiana)
offered outside above privileged Requiems when-
ever allowed by the rubrics.
May these Masses be Celebrated on any Day
of the Year?
No.
What determines their permission to be
offered on any special Day?
Death, the chant, a special indult, and the title
of the Mass.
148 The Mass and Vestments
What Days exclude even a Funeral Re-
quiem?
(1) The more august feasts of the Church, viz.:
Easter, Pentecost, Christmas, Epiphany, Ascen-
sion and Corpus Christi. Also, the Immaculate
Conception, Annunciation, Assumption, Nativity
of St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph's feast, and All
Saints. For Scotland, St. Andrew's, and for Ire-
land, St. Patrick's day.
(2) All Sundays to which a festival solemnity is
transferred.
(3) The three last days of Holy Week.
(4) Eve of Pentecost and on St. Mark's day
and Rogation days, if it would exclude the Bless-
ing of the Font, or the Procession.
(5) During the Forty Hours.
(6) The more solemn local feasts, i. e. of the
Patron of locality, or church, and Anniversary
of dedication.
(7) Sundays in parish churches, unless the
funeral Mass may be said in addition to the usual
parish Masses.
The body not yet buried, but not present for
some grave reason, like the interference of a
municipal law governing contagious diseases,
Mass for such is forbidden:
(a) When the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for
some public reason;
The Mass 149
(6) In the last three days of Holy Week;
(c) On feasts of the first-class.
If the burial occur on a day when a funeral
Mass is not allowed, a Mass for such may be
offered on any day except:
(a) When the Blessed Sacrament is exposed
for some public reason;
( b ) In the last three days of Holy Week;
(c) On Sundays;
(d) On feasts of first and second-class;
(e) On feasts of obligation.
Mass of third, seventh, thirtieth days, anniver-
sary, whether of death or burial and fixed by will
or custom is prohibited:
(a) When the Blessed Sacrament is exposed
for a public reason;
(6) On Sundays;
(c) On feasts of first and second-class;
(d) On feasts of obligation;
(e) Within privileged octaves such as Xmas,
Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost and Corpus Christi;
(/) Privileged week-days like Ash Wednesday
and all of Holy Week;
(g) On the vigils of Christmas and Pentecost;
(h) On Rogation days if there be a procession;
(i) On suppressed feast days in parish churches
having only one Mass which must be offered for
the people.
150 The Mass and Vestments
These Masses may be computed from the day of
death or burial, according to the Baltimore Ordo.
Wapelhorst, however, teaches that an Anniversary
must date from the death, or, at most, from the
day following and quotes a decree of the S. R. C.
21 July, 1855. (Compendium Sacrae Liturgiae,
p. 52, n. 2.)
There is no distinction as to privilege between an
Anniversary fixed by endowment or a real Anniver-
sary annually celebrated on day of death or burial.
The Absolution after the Requiem Mass is
optional unless the person making the offering
demand it.
These Masses offered on the third, seventh,
thirtieth day and anniversaries have a very
ancient origin, as they are mentioned in the Apos-
tolic Constitutions of the first centuries.
When is the Daily Requiem allowed?
Only on days permitting a Votive Mass. By
special indult a private Requiem is allowed in
missionary countries on Mondays, even though
double feasts occur, or Tuesdays if Monday will
not permit it. The privilege travels no further
into the week. This Mass has the indulgence of
a privileged altar.
What are the special features of Requiem
Masses?
Black vestments always. In the Mass, no psalm
Judica me, or Gloria, or blessing of deacon
who chants the gospel, or kissing of Missal, or
The Mass 151
Credo; water is not blessed; the Agnus Dei
terminates in a plea for rest for the dead; there is
no pax given, and the blessing at the end of the
Mass is omitted.
Does the color of the Vestments affect the
Efficacy of the Mass?
No. The Mass is always the same infinite sac-
rifice, no matter the color of the vestments.
What is the Mass of Judgment?
A Mass said for the detection of crime and the
establishment of innocence, at which the accused
assisted and submitted to a variety of tests, with
the presumption that the Lord would reveal guilt
or guiltlessness. The Book of Numbers, fifth
chapter, very probably suggested the thought
underlying the Mass.
Is a Mass of Judgment in vogue now?
No. It disappeared many years ago.
Was it ever sanctioned by the Church?
The Church never gave it official sanction. It
was permitted, however, because the practice of
ordeals or tests under supposed supernatural sur-
veillance was very general among the Saxon,
Germanic and Scandinavian pagans, and as they
credited the true God with an interest in the
moral order after their conversion, they believed
He would sustain and verify it by miraculous in-
terposition. For a while it was thought perilous to
interfere with this manifestation of excessive faith.
152 The Mass and Vestments
Did the Church condemn this Superstitious
Mass finally?
Yes. Through St. Gregory ( 592 ) , Council of
Worms (829 ), Nicholas I (858), Stephen (1057),
and other Popes and Councils.
Is there a Special Indulgence annexed to the
First Mass of a Priest?
By a decree of the Sacred Congregation, January
11, 1886, Leo XIII granted, on the usual con-
ditions, a plenary indulgence to the priest who
celebrated his first Mass — not the Ordination Mass,
and the same to his blood relatives to the third
degree, inclusive, who assist at the Mass. For the
faithful generally who are present there is a
partial indulgence of seven years and seven quar-
antines.
What are the Appropriate Postures for the
Laity attending Mass?
Low Mass.
All should kneel during the entire Mass, stand-
ing only at the gospels. In some places the
faithful stand at the Credo, if it is said, and bend
the knee .with the priest at the words: "Et
Homo factus est." Those unable to kneel
throughout the entire Mass may sit after the
Credo and until the Sanctus bell is rung, and
again after the Communion until the last prayers
are read.
The Mass 153
High Mass.
All stand during the Asperges. They kneel
from the beginning of Mass until the priest in-
tones the Gloria, when they stand. They sit
whenever the priest sits, and also when the
announcements are made, and during the sermon.
They stand during the singing of the prayers,
except at a Requiem Mass. They sit during the
reading of the Epistle until the Missal is carried
over to the left of the altar. They stand at the
Gospel, also at the Credo whilst the priest is recit-
ing it at the Altar, and sit when he goes to the
bench. They kneel when the officiant recites and
the choir sings: ' 'Et incarnatus est de Spiritu
Sancto ex Maria Virgine: et Homo Jactus est.''
They sit during the Offertory and rise when the
priest begins the chant of the Preface. They kneel
from the Sanctus until after the Communion.
They sit whilst the priest purifies and covers the
chalice. They stand during the last prayers,
kneel for the blessing, stand during the last
Gospel, genuflect at the "Verbum caro factum
est," and stand until finished.
Solemn High Mass.
The same postures are observed as at a High
Mass with these exceptions: they do not stand at
the Gospel when read by the Celebrant, but when
it is sung by the deacon, and they stand when
the censer-bearer incenses the congregation.
154 The Mass and Vestments
Masses for the Dead.
At Low Masses for the Dead the same rules
are to be observed as at other Low Masses.
At a High Mass they kneel from the beginning
of Mass until the reading and singing of the
Epistle, when they may sit. They stand at the
singing of the Gospel. They sit at the Offertory
until the Preface, when they stand. They kneel
from the Sanctus until after the Communion,
when they sit. They kneel at the last prayers
and stand at the last Gospel. If the Celebrant
sit, as at the Kyrie and the Dies Irae, the faith-
ful sit also. If the Libera is said after Mass
the people sit whilst the priest is vesting, but
rise when he approaches the bier, and stand
during the ceremony.
Vespers.
The congregation will stand when the Celebrant
enters the sanctuary; they kneel when he kneels
at the altar to say the preparatory prayers. Then
rise with him as he proceeds to the bench and
remain standing until the first Psalm is intoned.
They sit during the chanting of the Psalms.
Stand when the Celebrant sings the Chapter. Sit
during the Hymn. Stand at the Magnificat, the
incensing of the Altar, singing of the prayer, and
during the Anthem of the Blessed Virgin and the
concluding prayer.
The Mass 155
Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
They kneel from the beginning to the end of
the service. If the Te Deum is sung all stand,
genuflecting only at the words, Te ergo quaesu-
mus. When the Blessed Sacrament is replaced
in the tabernacle, all rise. All persons entering
or leaving the church whilst the Blessed Sacra-
ment is exposed must genuflect on both knees
and incline head and shoulders moderately.
Asperges.
The people will stand when the Celebrant
enters the sanctuary, and remain standing until
the end of the Asperges. They do not kneel with
the priest when he intones the Asperges or
Vidi Aquam. Whilst he exchanges the cope for
the chasuble they sit, and rise as the Celebrant
approaches the altar to begin Mass.
Bibliography: O'Brien, On the Mass; Baltimore Ordo;
Gihr, The Sacrifice of the Mass; Benedict XIV, De Sacri-
ficio Missae; Van Der Stappen, Sacra Liturgia; Klauder,
Catholic Practice; Pastor, History of Popes, Vol- VII, 1908.
CHAPTER X.
THE EFFICACY AND FRUITS OF THE MASS.
How is the Efficacy of the Mass expressed?
The Mass, according to the theologians and St.
Leonard's, of Port Maurice, method of hearing it,
has a four-fold efficacy. It is a sacrifice:
(1) Of Worship.
(2) Of Propitiation, or sin-offering foi the
remission of sins.
( 3 ) Of Impetration, or prayer for spiritual or
temporal favors.
(4) Of Thanksgiving for favors received.
Was this Efficacy prefigured in the Sacri-
fices of the Old Laiv?
It was foreshadowed in:
(1) The Holocaust, or whole-burnt offering,
which had for its object worship.
(2 ) The Sin offering for propitiation, or atone-
ment for sin.
(3) The Peace offering for Impetration, or
entreaty for favors.
( 4 ) The Eucharistic offering in thanksgiving for
favors received.
The Efficacy of the Mass 157
Has the Church sanctioned this Identity
between the Efficacy of the Mosaic Sacrifices
and the Sacrifice of the Mass?
The Council of Trent (Session XXII) decreed
that the Mass "is that oblation which was pre-
figured under the likeness of the sacrifices of the
Law and, as their consummation and perfection,
embraces all the efficacy which they signified."
The Church, too, in the prayer of the Mass on the
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost thus addresses God:
"God who hath approved (or sanctioned) the
variety of victims under the Law by the perfec-
tion of one sacrifice."
What is meant by the Efficacy of the Mass?
( 1 ) It means that moral dignity which is
inherent to it by nature, without any thought of
the effects it produces. This dignity of the sacri-
fice proceeds from the dignity of the Sacrificer
and the value of the Victim.
( 2 ) It also means that power which it has from
its dignity to produce certain effects, both with
reference to God and creatures, whether in the
character of those who offer it, or those for
whom it is offered. Efficacy, therefore, and fruits
stand to each other in the relation of cause and
effect.
(3) This efficacy may be considered in actu
prima, that is, in the measure of the sufficiency
which it has from its own inherent dignity
158 The Mass and Vestments
to produce certain effects, and also in actu sec-
undo, or in the extent of the aptitude which it
possesses by virtue of the will and institution of
Christ to produce certain results. To the efficacy
of the first type correspond effects which it can
produce from itself. To that of the second type,
effects which it produces from the appointment of
Christ.
(4) This efficacy can be intensively and ex-
tensively infinite. An intensively infinite efficacy
is that which produces an effect progressively
greater or more perfect. An extensively infinite
efficacy is that which in its effects is not exhausted
by any number of persons to whom applied, but is
equally potent whether offered for one or many.
What is meant by the Fruits of the Mass?
The results actually obtained through its in-
strumentality.
Popularly, what is meant by the Fruits of
the Mass?
Popular usage restricts the fruits of the Mass
to designate the effects of propitiation for the
remission of sin, and of impetration, or petition
for favors, the benefits of which are received by
creatures, as distinguished from those of worship
and of thanksgiving which are offered to God.
Whence does the Efficacy of the Mass arise?
The Efficacy of the Mass in general, that is to
The Efficacy of the Mass 159
say, without definite reference to any of its special
effects or fruits, is derived from two sources:
(a) The dignity and worth of the Victim
offered in sacrifice, and
(b) The dignity and holiness of the person or
persons by whom it is offered.
Who is the Victim offered in the Mass?
The Victim is the Sacred Body and Blood of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who is infinite in dignity and
worth.
Does this oblation oj a Victim of Infinite
Dignity make the Mass a Sacrifice of Infinite
Efficacy?
The theologians, with practical unanimity,
answer in the negative.
De Lugo (De Eucharistia, Disp. 19, Sect. 12, n.
254 ) thus argues:
"This fact of the infinite worth of the Victim
is inadequate to establish the infinite value of the
sacrifice, because the sacrifice, for its value, de-
pends more on the one offering than the Victim
offered. Otherwise, the oblation which the
Blessed Virgin made of her Divine Son in the
Temple would have an infinite value."
Therefore, in estimating the efficacy of the
Mass, we must consider by whom, or in whose
name the sacrifice is offered.
160 The Mass and Vestments
By whom is the Sacrifice of the Mass offered?
(1) It is offered primarily by our Lord Himself,
who, acting through the ministry of the officiating
priest, is both Priest and Victim. "Offering the
same sacrifice, through the ministry of His priest-
hood, which He offered on the Cross — the manner
of the offering being alone different," says the
Council of Trent.
(2 ) It is offered by the Universal Church, whose
minister the priest is, and in whose name and as
whose representative, as well as in the name and
as the representative of Christ, he officiates at the
altar. "As betimes the emissary of some power-
ful prince asks a favor from another prince, to
whom he is accredited, and by virtue of this
representative character obtains what he asks,
and without it would be powerless, so also the
priest is heard by God in his petitions, not merely
as the minister of Christ, but because as the am-
bassador of the Church accredited to God, he has
official approach to God in his supplications."
( Dicastillo, De Sacrificio Missae, Disp. 3, n. 62 ) .
(3) It is offered by all those who individually
take part in it by any personal act, such, for
instance, as being present at its celebration, assist-
ing the priest as minister or server, whether
deacon or subdeacon or acolyte, preparing the
altar for Mass, procuring its celebration by the
giving of an honorarium to the priest, and the
The Efficacy of the Mass 161
like. In this class we are to include the priest,
not as the representative of Christ or the Church,
but merely as an individual.
In what sense may it be said that the Mass
is offered by Our Lord Himself?
As to the full sense of the statement, theologians
are not in agreement. They do, at least, concur
in this sense, that the Mass was instituted by Him
as a sacrifice to be offered in His name by His
priests to the end of time; that from his merits
and atonement its essential efficacy is derived, and
that by His power is wrought, at the moment of
Consecration, the change of substance in which
the sacrifice essentially consists.
Is there a more specific sense in which Christ
may be said to offer the Mass?
Theologians of the first rank, like Suarez, De
Lugo and Cardinal Franzelin, teach that in every
Mass, Our Lord, at the moment of Consecration,
by a present individual act of His will, offers Him-
self in sacrifice to His Eternal Father, and the
"Idem nunc offerens" of the Council of Trent
seems to concur in this opinion.
How is the Mass offered by the Church?
Not as if the individual members of the Church
share in offering the sacrifice by any personal act,
but that the priest, in offering it, acts not only as
the representative of Christ, but also as the repre-
sentative of the Universal Church, whose am-
162 The Mass and Vestments
bassador he is before God's throne to utter prayers
of her own making, and obliging him to say these
and no other, because they best express her wants
and spirit.
Is the Efficacy of the Mass as a Sacrifice of
Worship and Thanksgiving Infinite?
The ascertainable opinion of theologians seems
to affirm that it is infinite when offered by the Lord.
Is the Mass Efficacious as a Sacrifice of
Impetration or Petition Jor Favors, Spiritual
or Temvoral?
Works or acts, as distinct from prayers of petition,
have not of themselves the efficacy of Impetration.
If done, however, in the service of God, they are
provocative of His bounty, and if performed as
auxiliary to a prayer or petition, they become in-
directly efficacious for Impetration. In this sense
is the efficacy of the Mass as a sacrifice of impe-
tration admitted.
In how many ways is the Mass Efficacious
under this aspect?
As accompanying and giving strength to prayers
of petition, it
(a) Obtains the benefits for which we pray.
(b) It is meritorious of grace and glory.
(c) It is a work of satisfaction, remitting or
contributing to the remission of the debt of tempo-
ral punishment due for forgiven sins.
The Efficacy of the Mass 163
Does this Triple Efficacy flow from the Mass
as offered by Our Lord?
As offered by Our Lord, or by the priest as His
minister, the Mass is not in itself efficacious as an
act either of merit or satisfaction. De Lugo
says: "It is certain that Christ does not now
actually merit or satisfy by the offering of the
sacrifice, because He is not in the state of merit-
ing or satisfying."
In what sense is it a Sacrifice oj Satisfaction
when offered by Christ?
The Propitiatory efficacy of the Mass consists
in its efficacy as a means by which the merits and
satisfaction of His death on the Cross may be
applied to the souls of men.
Is it a Sacrifice of Impetration or Petition
for Favors as offered by Christ?
Independent of the question of the consistency
of prayer offering, or the attitude of the suppliant
with Christ's present state of triumphal glory in
Heaven, it is the almost unanimous opinion of
theologians, that He unceasingly intercedes for us
with His Father, making known our wants,
assuring us of His love and sympathy, and plead-
ing for us before the throne of God by His blessed
Humanity, and more urgently by His sacred
wounds, which both confirm His title of Redeemer
and the earnestness of His advocacy in our behalf.
164 The Mass and Vestments
This special intercession with the Father is the
concomitant of every Mass by a distinct, personal
present act of Christ.
Furthermore, as a sacrificing priest is primarily
the representative of Christ, the favors, - spiritual
and temporal, for which he offers the Mass, are
to be regarded as sought for not only by the
priest, but also and much more by Him whom he
represents.
Is the Mass when Offered in the name of the
Universal Church productive of this Triple
Efficacy?
As offered in the name of the universal Church
by the priest as her representative, the Mass is
devoid of the efficacy of merit and satisfaction,
though not of petition, because theology teaches
that merit and satisfaction are the fruit only of
individual, personal acts. "From the Church,"
says De Lugo (Disp. 79, Sect. II, nn. 5, 7) "the
Mass does not receive the efficacy to merit or
satisfy, because in offering it, the Church does not
exercise a personal, actual responsibility, but
behaves like a king who acts vicariously through
his ambassador."
Is this Three-fold Efficacy the Fruit oj a
Mass when offered by the Priest and those who
assist at it?
As viewed in its lowest aspect, that is as a work
The Efficacy of the Mass 165
of supreme excellence, performed by the priest
and those who individually co-operate with him
in the offering, it has this three-fold efficacy.
What is the Measure of the Efficacy of the
Mass as a Sin offering or a Sacrifice of Pro-
pitiation?
It is two-fold:
(a) For the remission of the guilt of sin (reatus
culpae ) whether mortal or venial.
(b) For the remission of the temporal punish-
ment (reatus poenae) due for forgiven sins.
How does the Mass operate for the Remis-
sion of the Guilt of Sin?
There is a moral concursus of opinion that
this effect is not produced, as by the sacra-
ments, by a direct fusion of grace into the
soul. Some theologians credit it with this power
for the forgiveness of venial sins, and some
few in reference even to mortal sins. One
or two theologians teach that the aid derived
from a Mass is an efficacious grace in the
technical sense, "to \ which God in His infinite
knowledge foresees the erring human will cannot
help freely, but infallibly, responding.'' This last
opinion, however, is refuted by the facts of nearly
every day experience.
The almost unanimous opinion of theologians is,
that the Mass may forgive the guilt of venial and
166 The Mass and Vestments
mortal sins indirectly, or mediately, by the
assistance of special graces obtained from God
through its instrumentality, by virtue of whose
inspiration and aid the sinner may perform those
acts of penance without which the remission of
the guilt of sin is impossible.
Does this effect follow from the Mass as a
Sacrifice of Propitiation or Sin-offering, or
merely as a Sacrifice of Impetration?
It is the result of the Mass as a sacrifice of
Propitiation, and not merely as a sacrifice of
Impetration, or a petition for spiritual favors.
Keeping in mind these two different phases
of the Mass, what is the specific mode of its
operation relative to this effect?
Some theologians recognize no special efficacy
beyond that of Impetration in the Mass, when
offered for the remission of the guilt of sin. Its
Propitiatory value is restricted by them to the can-
celling of the temporal punishment. Others
discern in its operation a greater certainty, when
offered as a Propitiatory sacrifice for the graces of
repentance and conversion, than when offered in
Impetration for favors temporal or spiritual.
De Lugo explains its efficacy by a special mode
of operation, which from the end sought dis-
tinguishes it from mere Impetration. In this case,
he says, the Mass has not for its special intention
The Efficacy of the Mass 167
the obtaining of graces. If it were confined to
this result, its efficacy would be merely of Im-
petration. Its object as a Propitiatory sacrifice is
to appease God, angered by sin. The withholding
of graces is one of the ordinary chastisements by
which God punishes the sinner. The Mass, then,
as a Propitiatory sacrifice, is offered to placate His
anger, and thus to remove an obstacle which
would otherwise hinder the operation of the sacri-
fice, as offered in Impetration for the graces
leading to the remission of sin. This view, he
contends, is confirmed by the Council of Trent,
when it says: "Verily, the Lord being appeased
by this oblation and vouchsafing the grace and
gift of repentance remits sins even of the graver
sort."
As regards the remission of the temporal
punishment, ivhat is the Efficacy of the Pro-
pitiatory Sacrifice of the Mass?
In this relation its efficacy is direct and im-
mediate. The debt is cancelled wholly or in
part, exactly akin to the effect of a plenary or
partial Indulgence.
Does the Mass also as an Impetratory Sacri-
fice cancel temporal punishment?
It is equally efficacious as an Impetratory sacri-
fice.
168 The Mass and Vestments
In measuring the fruits of the Mass, how
must we distinguish primarily?
We must discriminate between the efficacy and
its effects, or fruits. By the efficacy of the Mass
is meant its aptitude or capability to produce cer-
tain results. By its effects or fruits we mean the
results actually obtained.
How must we distinguish secondarily?
We must distinguish, to use technical phrases
familiar to theologians, between an efficacy ex
opere operato and an efficacy ex opere operantis.
Hoiv can these phrases be explained by a
reference to any of the Sacraments?
We can illustrate, for instance, by the Blessed
Eucharist. The fruit obtainable by the recipient
falls under one or other of two heads. There is
first, the efficacy of his personal acts of piety and
devotion — their three-fold efficacy of impetration,
of merit, and of satisfaction. There is secondly,
over and above all this, the efficacy of the sacra-
ment, as a sacrament, for the infusion of grace,
both sanctifying and sacramental, into the soul.
However much the acts and dispositions of the
recipient conduce to the greater efficacy and the
freer working of the sacrament, and even al-
though, in certain cases, specific acts and disposi-
tions are absolutely essential to its operation, to
the extent, that in their absence the sacrament is
The Efficacy of the Mass 169
inoperative, it is no less true, and it is of Catholic
teaching and faith, that the sacrament, as a sacra-
ment, has an efficacy all its own — an efficacy
which indeed requires for its operation the
presence of those acts and dispositions, but which
produces, with the concurrence of these, an effect
altogether in excess of that which they could in
any case or sense have obtained of themselves.
Of the two sources of efficacy thus dis-
tinguished, the former is technically known as
proceeding ex opere operantis, or from the
co-operation of the recipient, and the latter, ex
opere operato, or from an innate and intrinsic
energy of the sacrament, with which Christ has
endowed it.
Coincidentally with above observation, it is per-
tinent to note that the increase of spiritual fruit,
received by those who approach the sacraments
with more perfect dispositions, comes not merely
from this more faultless co-operation, ex opere
operantis, but also from the sacrament, as a
sacrament, ex opere operato. "From the same
flame," says St. Thomas (3, quest. 69, art. 8 ) "he
receives most heat who approaches nearest to it."
How does this secondary distinction apply
to the Mass?
(1 ) The efficacy of Impetration or Petition for
favors:
170 The Mass and Vestments
(a) The resultant efficacy of the Mass as a good
work, performed and shared by priest and people,
is "ex opere operantis."
(6) As offered by Our Lord, or by the priest as
His minister, it is "ex opere operato."
(c) As offered by the Universal Church, or by
the priest as her representative, its efficacy is "ex
opere operato" with respect to the priest, being
in no-wise dependent on his worthiness, and "ex
opere operantis" or an efficacy partially de-
pendent on the more or less perfect co-operation
of the members of the Church.
(2) The efficacy of Propitiation or Sin-offering:
(a) When considered in the light of a good
work, performed by those who individually take a
personal part in its offering, the efficacy of the
Mass is "ex opere operantis"
(b) When offered by Christ, or the priest as His
representative, it is ex opere operato.
(c) When offered by the Universal Church, it is
exclusively an efficacy of Impetration and follows
the solution of the preceding section under (c).
Is the Mass a Sacrifice oj Infinite Efficacy?
An Infinite Efficacy implies two things:
(a) An infinite or unlimited effect.
(b) An infinite or unlimited power of attaining
it. In itself and without reference to actual
effects, the Mass possesses this infinite power. An
The Efficacy of the Mass 171
infinite effect in the strict sense of the term as
applicable to us is an impossibility.
Theologians, however, interpret the term "in-
finite" as conveying two senses:
(a) Its strict sense (categorematice infinitus)
in which it implies the absolute absence of all
limitation, and in which, for instance, God is said
to be infinite, or His eternity; and,
(b) Its less strict sense (syncategorematice
infinitus) in which it means merely indefinitely
great, that is to say, finite, but greater than any
other finite effect nameable or conceivable, or an
efficacy to the operation of which no limit can be
assigned, in the sense that whatever finite effect,
however great, may be named or conceived, effects
still greater and greater may be produced without
limit.
The competency of numbers to express magni-
tude furnishes an illustration. Whilst it is im-
possible for numbers to express a sum total strictly
infinite, they may represent an aggregate in-
definitely great, in the sense that no matter how
vast the sum named or conceived, a progressively
larger sum is conceivable. The measure there-
fore of the efficacy of the Mass is always in this
second or less strict sense of the term.
Hoiv does this explanation of an Infinite
Efficacy apply to the Mass?
(1) The efficacy of the Mass in itself , or in actu
172 The Mass and Vestments
primo, is intensively and extensively indefinite.
The sacrifice of the Mass possesses the same
efficacy as the sacrifice of the Cross, and as that
was inexhaustible, so is this. Independent of the
number of persons to whom applied, its potency
is always full and overflowing.
( 2 ) The efficacy of the Mass in actu secundo,
or by the will of Christ, is extensively indefinite
in respect to special fruits, for those who offer
and who assist at the Mass, if no hindrance is pre-
sented to these fruits. To share in this efficacy,
no other condition is required than the offering
and assisting at the Mass with a pure heart.
Whether one or many, the fruits of the Mass are
applicable to all, according to the measure of their
capacity.
(3) The fruits of the Mass designated as
ministerial, which those receive for whom the
Mass is offered, are finite. The limitations affixed
to them are two-fold and arise from the number
and the capacity of those for whom the Mass is
offered.
Is the Mass of Infinite Efficacy when offered
by the Church?
As offered by the Church the efficacy of the
Mass is only finite. The Victim offered is, indeed,
infinite, but according to the dictum of De Lugo,
the value of the sacrifice is measured rather by
the one who offers, than by the Victim offered.
The Efficacy of the Mass 173
Suarez thus approves: (De Eucharistia, Disp.
79, Sect. XI, n. 6) "This efficacy is based on the
sanctity of the Church, to which God inclining, as
that of a Spouse most pleasing, accepts the sacri-
fice offered in her name and grants the petitions
asked. The sanctity of the Church is, however,
finite, and, therefore, the efficacy of the sacrifice
offered in her name is commensurate." Besides,
it is incumbent to remember that the efficacy of
the Mass as offered by the Church is an efficacy
of Impetration.
Is the Efficacy of the Mass under this aspect
Variable or Invariable?
The almost unanimous opinion of the greatest
theologians favors the view, that the efficacy is
variable in the sense, that it may augment or
diminish with the greater or less degree of sanctity
among the members of the Church. A few
theologians hold to the theory of an invariable
efficacy, not because it is altogether independent
of the personal holiness of individual Catholics,
but because the Church here comprises all her
members, past, present and future for all time.
When offered by the Priest is the Efficacy oj
the Mass Infinite or Finite?
When offered by the priest as an individual,
and by those who individually share with him in
the offering, its efficacy is finite.
174 The Mass and Vestments
When offered by Christ is the Efficacy of the
Mass Infinite?
It is infinite in the strict sense as a sacrifice
of Adoration and Thanks-offering.
Theologians are so absorbed in the practical effects
of the Mass bearing on Impetration and Propitiation
that they have left its value for worship and thanks-
giving unexplored. An "infinite efficacy" is defined
in a strict and a less strict sense, as already explained
(p. 171) and the statement is made that "an efficacy
capable of producing an effect strictly speaking infi-
nite is an obvious impossiblity." Is not the exercise
of the power of the priest in consecrating a refuta-
tion of this opinion? An infinite God at his sum-
mons takes up His residence under the veil of bread
and wine by the miracle of Transubstantiation.
It adds to the difficulty of interpreting the ver-
dict of the theologians that they do not always
distinguish infinitude, nor reveal in what sense it
is employed. The theologians of Salamanca held
to the theory of an infinite efficacy apparently
in its strict sense. Holding in abeyance the in ac-
tu primo et secundo aspects of the case, and the
limitations affixed to this efficacy by human in-
capacity, there appears to be nothing unreasonable
in the assertion that when the Mass is offered by
Christ, through the ministry of His priest, in
worship and thanksgiving to God the Father, the
efficacy is infinite in its strict sense. Neither the
God — Man who offers, nor the God who accepts
the offering can be said to limit this infinite efficacy.
CHAPTER XL
SACRIFICE OF IMPETRATION FOR FAVORS SPIRITUAL
AND TEMPORAL.
MEASURE OF ITS EFFICACY.
Is its Efficacy Infinite as a Sacrifice of
Impetration under this asvect?
It is infinite in the modified acceptance of the
term when offered by Christ, or the priest as His
representative. The Impetratory efficacy of the
Mass is its efficacy in aid of some prayer or peti-
tion offered jointly with it.
The axiom of Suarez: "Whatever is attainable
by prayer may be obtained by this sacrifice; it
can be offered the same as any just prayer may
be heard, to which it gives the power of being
efficacious" illumines this phase of the sacrifice.
Its limit is, therefore, the limit of Impetratory
prayer. Although it is unlimited as regards the
purposes within the range of Impetratory prayer,
its efficacy for the actual benefits prayed for will
be greater or less according to the inherent efficacy
of the prayer, in support of which it is offered.
As an Impetratory Sacrifice is its Efficacy
limited by the number of persons for whom
offered?
176 The Mass and Vestments
The question touches what theologians term
the extensive infinitude of the Mass and in-
cludes a decision as to whether its efficacy is
independent of the number of persons for whom
the Mass is offered, so that, if offered for two or
more, it will be as efficacious as if offered for one.
The answer seems to be in the negative, because
theology teaches that the efficacy of prayer is
ordinarily less when offered for a more valuable
than for a less valuable favor, and less when
offered for the benefit of a number of persons
than when offered for one. Scotus, as quoted by
Suarez, explains this conclusion by the following
reason: "Prayer to be efficacious must observe a
proportion with the favor sought, for the same
prayer, caeteris paribus, cannot with equal
facility obtain the difficult and the easy, the
greater and the less benefit; nor for the same
reason is it equally potent when offered for one
or many, because the proper proportion is dis-
arranged."
Commenting on this explanation, Suarez ob-
serves this can happen in two ways:
(a) "On the part of the persons, when prayer is
made for Peter, or for a group to which Peter
belongs."
(b) "On the part of the things prayed for,
when we pray for humility in particular, or virtue
which contains humility."
Sacrifice of Impetration 177
Does this imply that the Mass as an Impe-
tratory Sacrifice is limited in its effects?
The practical limitation determined by Scotus
and Suarez arises not from any shortcoming of
the efficacy of the Mass as a sacrifice of Impetra-
tion, but from the restricted potency of the
prayer in sustainment of which it is offered.
7s there any way whereby this Limitation
may be removed?
If there is, then a Mass may be as efficacious
for Impetration when offered for many benefits
or persons, as when offered for one benefit or
person. Suarez solves the difficulty and removes
the limited efficacy by the suggestion, that if in-
stead of one general prayer, a number of distinct
special prayers be said, each being offered for
some one special favor, or some one of the per-
sons for whom we wish to pray. By this ar-
rangement, each prayer thus offered will have the
same efficacy as if it stood alone.
CHAPTER XII.
SACRIFICE OF PROPITIATION OR SIN-OFFERING.
MEASURE OF ITS EFFICACY.
Is the Efficacy qf the Mass as a Sacrifice of
Propitiation Infinite in the restricted sense or
Finite?
The question includes these two results of the
sacrifice:
(a) An intensive (intensive) efficacy, in the
sense that a person for whom it is offered may,
by its application, obtain the remission of the
entire debt of temporal punishment due for his
forgiven sins;
(6) An extensive (extensive) efficacy, which
signifies that when offered for more persons than
one, each will receive from it the same benefit as
if it were offered for him alone.
In reply to the question there are two opinions.
The first is to the effect that the propitiatory
effect of the Mass is in both respects infinite or
unlimited, so that it is not only
(a) Available for the full remission of any
debt, however great, of temporal punishment due
by the person for whom it is offered, but that it is
also
Sacrifice of Propitiation 179
(b) Equally effective to the same full extent
for any number of persons, for whom it may be
offered. This opinion is held by St. Alphonsus
de Liguori and called by him speculatively
or theoretically more probable. He attributes
the same opinion to Suarez erroneously, for
whilst this Spanish theologian may be in accord
with him on the question of the efficacy
of the Mass as a sacrifice of Impetration, he is at
variance with him in his estimate of the potency
of the Mass as a sacrifice of Propitiation, and it is
under this aspect that it is here considered.
The second opinion is, that its efficacy for both
results is finite or limited, so that
(a) If offered for only one person, it is potent
only for the remission of a certain definite
amount of temporal punishment;
(b) If offered for two or more, the benefit de-
rivable for each is proportionately diminished,
inasmuch as it is divided between those for whom
the Mass is offered.
What is the relative standing of these two
opinions now?
The second, affirming a finite value is the
generally accepted opinion. The first, advocating
an unlimited satisfactory efficacy has found com-
paratively scant recognition from theologians.
Vasquez, its chief advocate, claimed for it the
180 The Mass and Vestments
authority of St. Thomas, but his claim is dis-
credited by his own admission that St. Thomas'
meaning is not clear.
Hoiv does this theory of a Finite value
harmonize with a Victim oj Infinite Worth, or
a Great High Priest of Infinite Dignity?
No theologian thinks of questioning that the
Mass is, on those grounds, a sacrifice to which an
infinite or unlimited efficacy might have been
annexed by Our Lord, if He had deemed it ex-
pedient to do so.
The question at issue is not the possible efficacy
of the Mass, but its actual efficacy, or, to use the
technical language of the schools, it does not
regard the sacrifice "according to its primary and
remote, but according to its proximate potency,"
as Layman expresses it, "which it has from the
institution and will of Christ." The question is,
therefore, one of fact, which of the two opinions
represents the efficacy actually annexed to this
sacrifice by Our Lord.
How then is this question of Fact to be de-
cided?
It is obviously not to be determined by a priori
considerations of any kind. Neither the Scriptures,
nor the writings of the Fathers help on the
solution of it. Our only guide is the sense of the
Church, not as indicated by any formal decrees or
Sacrifice of Propitiation LSI
definitions, but as reflected in her actual practice
or usage, ascertained by the mode in which the
sacrifice is offered by her priests, and which, if not
prescribed by her, has at least received the full
sanction of her authority.
What is the trend of this usage as bearing
on the question at issue?
(a) There exists the practice throughout the
universal Church of offering the Mass for indivi-
duals. If its efficacy is extensively unlimited,
why limit it to one, when it is equally applicable
to many? In the Missal, Masses are appointed
for individuals, and prayers are designated for
individual persons. This restriction is clearly
unnecessary and unjustly privative, if the Mass
is equally potent for all the faithful, as for one.
(b) According to the current and accepted
teaching, the intention of the sacrificing priest
determines the application of the fruit of the
Mass — to one, or to many. The quality of that
intention and its power to restrict and direct the
efficacy of the Mass are matters of general accept-
ance and knowledge. If the theory of an unlimited
efficacy for all remembered in the Mass is tenable,
then it is incredible that Christ, or the Church would
have left it to the will of the priest to determine
whether its fruits would be applicable to one or
many. It is equally inexplicable if Christ intended
to make the Mass efficacious for all, independent
182 The Mass and Vestments
of the priest's intention, that such an inherent
quality would be so long unknown to the Church
and passing strange, that if known, it was not
exercised.
Cardinal Franzelin (p. 372, Ed. 1879) thus
argues on this point: "The opinion which main-
tains that the whole fruit of the Mass is the same
for one or many, I cannot reconcile with the cer-
tain doctrine which enjoins, that the priest, who
accepts a stipend for a Mass to be offered for a
particular person, sins not only against a precept
of the Church, but also against justice, if he offered
it for this individual and for many others. How,
I ask, does he violate justice? Nevertheless, it is
certain from the condemnation of Proposition Ten,
by Alexander VII, and likewise from the decrees
of the Sacred Congregation, that those priests err
against justice and are bound to restitution who
make pretence of satisfying many stipends by a
solitary Mass."
(c) An additional reason is thus presented by
De Lugo (De Eucharistia, Disp. 19, Sect. XII, n.
251):
"The Mass has only the efficacy of cancelling
the debt of sin in the measure of the appointment
of Christ, in so far as it has annexed to it the
expiatory merits of His death. This association
of His merits is, however, conformable to a limited
efficacy, because Christ wished that the Mass be
of frequent celebration. If, despite this, the Mass
Sacrifice of Propitiation 183
possess an infinite value, one sacrifice would
suffice for all the dead and living and, by conse-
quence, all these pious foundations for many
Masses, which the faithful appoint for the ease-
ment of their souls, are superfluous and needlessly
made."
Hoiv does this Propitiatory Effect of the
Mass bear on the Guilt of Sin?
In the explanation already given, the issue
involves only the Propitiatory effect of the Mass
in its bearing on the remission of the temporal
punishment. The reasoning employed therein is
also pertinent to the question of its efficacy in
forgiving the guilt of sin.
De Lugo thus illumines this conclusion:
"Wherefore, I infer that when the Mass is
offered for many, as the effect of the remission of
temporal punishment is divided among them all, so
that all receive together what one alone would
have received if said for him alone, so also this
other expiatory effect, which belongs to the
sacrifice is divided among all in such fashion, that
in respect to each, God is less pleased than if the
Mass were offered for one alone."
7s there any limitation to this Propitiatory
effect of the Mass?
In the opinion most generally adopted by theo-
logians, the propitiatory efficacy of the Mass is to
be regarded as limited, even with the co-operation
184 The Mass and Vestments
of the most perfect dispositions. Supplementary
to this, it is also a tenet of quite unanimous teach-
ing that the fruit of propitiation to be actually
obtained from the offering of the Mass depends,
within certain limits, upon the dispositions of the
person for whom the sacrifice is offered. Suarez
rejects the opinion, and Vazquez regards this as the
only limitation to the propitiatory efficacy of the
Mass. It is upheld, however, by the concurrent
authority of De Lugo, Vasquez, Dicastillo and
many other theologians.
De Lugo makes this comment:
"Although Christ did not will to give the Mass
an infinite efficacy, it was befitting that He make
it productive of a finite effect, determinable by
the dispositions of the persons for whom offered."
Confirmatory is this opinion of St. Thomas:
"Although the Mass by its efficacy suffices to
satisfy for all penalty, it is nevertheless satisfac-
tory for those for whom it is offered according to
the measure of their devotion, and not for all the
penalty."
CHAPTER XIII.
THE INFALLIBILITY OR CERTAINTY OF THE
FRUITS OF THE MASS.
Is the Efficacy of the Mass Infallible?
As in discussing the measure of this efficiency
we had to distinguish the Mass under the double
aspect of Impetration and Propitiation, so now in
guaging its certainty of attaining definite results
we must make the same distinction.
7s this Efficacy Infallible as a Sacrifice of
Impetration?
The test of practical experience and the con-
current teaching of the theologians affirm, that
the efficacy of the Mass as a sacrifice of Impetra-
tion is not infallible. The terms of its efficacy in
this respect are that it sustains and reinforces the
impetratory effect of the prayer, in connection
with which it is offered. Through the impetra-
tory efficacy of the Mass we may hope to receive
benefits, whether temporal or spiritual, for which
mere unaided prayer would be altogether in-
sufficient. There is no conclusive evidence to
demonstrate that the efficacy of the Mass thus
co-operating with prayer is infallible. Indeed, as
an obvious conclusion, theologians contend that to
186 The Mass and Vestments
annex such an efficacy to the Mass would be for
many reasons inconsistent with the ordinary
sequence and operations of God's providence.
Must not this conclusion be qualified by the
character of the favors asked?
The nature of the benefits prayed for does not
alter this verdict, Take, for instance, the case
where the grace of a sinner's conversion is be-
sought. This would be a form of petition wherein
the efficacy of prayer and the Impetratory efficacy
of the Mass would be regarded as least subject to
restriction. The fact is of facile and frequent
proof that this sort of petition often goes unheard.
De Lugo's reasoning is thus expressed:
"As the petition of prayer is impeded by many
hindrances, one of which is the order and de-
mands of God's providence so also the Impetra-
tory effect of the Mass. Without doubt, it is not
expedient that the response, as if by an efficacious
aid would be infallible, because a notable securitv
and license of sinning would thereby be accorded
to men, who would expect an efficacious aid to
justification through the assured infallible help of
the Mass."
Is not this conclusion inconsistent with the
Efficacy oj the Mass as offered by Christ?
When the Mass is referred to as offered bv
Christ, the purport of this statement is, that it is
not only offered by the priest as His representa-
The Fruits of the Mass 187
tive, but also by Christ Himself by a personal act
of offering. Even this view of it does not neces-
sitate its infallible efficacy as a sacrifice of Impe-
tration. For, as Suarez explains, it is only those
prayers of our Lord which proceed from an
absolute or efficacious desire of His will that are
infallible in attaining their object. There is no
reason to suppose that the power entrusted to the
priest, as His representative, of offering the sacri-
fice in Impetration for every legitimate object of
prayer carries with it the control, if the expres-
sion is permissible, of our Lord's absolute or effica-
cious will. On the contrary, as Suarez expresses
it:
"This effect does not follow from the nature of
the sacrifice, nor is it always expedient."
Is there then no sense in which the Efficacy
of the Mass of Impetration is Infallible'?
According to the common opinion of theo-
logians there is a sense in which its efficacy is in-
fallible. Thus Cardinal Bona (De Sacrificio
Missae, chap. I, sect. 3) teaches:
"It is certain that the Mass is not devoid of this
effect of Impetration, because although God may
not vouchsafe the precise favor asked, He does
grant some other favor which in the supplicant's
condition, He knows to be more expedient."
CHAPTER XIV.
THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE FRUITS OF THE MASS
THE SACRIFICE OF PROPITIATION.
Under how many aspects may this Efficacy
of Propitiation be considered?
Two. It may be considered
(a) In reference to the guilt of sin, and
(6) In reference to the remission of the tem-
poral punishment.
What is the nature of this Etficacy for the
remission of the Guilt of Sin?
The efficacy of the Mass for the remission of
the guilt of sin is two-fold:
(a) Its efficacy in obtaining those graces by
the aid of which the sinner may perform the acts
of repentance necessary for the forgiveness of
his sin; and
(b) Its efficacy in appeasing God, and thus
removing an obstacle that should otherwise im-
pede the operation of the sacrifice as offered to
obtain by Impetration the graces leading to
repentance.
The Fruits of the Mass 189
Is the Efficacy of the Mass as a Propitiatory
Sacrifice infallible far the Remission of the
Guilt of Sin?
In the sense that it infallibly secures the actual
forgiveness of mortal or venial sin its efficacy is
not infallible.
7s the Efficacy of the Mass of Propitiation
infallible in obtaining the Grace of Repentance?
This efficacy is that of Impetration and is not
infallible. Whilst not infallible, it is, however,
more surely efficacious for the forgiveness of
venial sin than for the forgiveness of mortal sin;
it is also more efficacious when offered by the
priest in his own behalf than when offered for
another. This is the common law of Impetration.
Is the Efficacy of the Mass of Propitiation
infallible in appeasing God's anger with the
sinner?
This form of Propitiatory efficacy, which De
Lugo assigns as the special efficacy of Propitiation
for the guilt of sin, may be dealt with as in all
respects similar to the Propitiatory efficacy of the
Mass for the remission of temporal punishment,
and its solution will be recorded in the questions
and answers immediately following.
7s the Efficacy of the Mass infallible for the
remission of the Temporal Punishment due for
far given sins?
190 The Mass and Vestments
De Lugo's answer is:
"All the theologians teach that it is infallible, if
there is no hindrance to it on the part of the one
for whom the Mass is offered. Therefore, it is in-
dubitable that this effect is infallible with respect
to the living. It is also infallible for the dead,
since the power of Christ, who instituted the
sacrifice, includes both."
What is implied in the Limitation, ''If there
is no hindrance to it on the part of the one for
ivhom the Mass is offered"?
Suarez exhaustively discusses this question and
his conclusions may be thus summarized:
(a) The Mass is thus efficacious only as regards
the baptized.
(b) This efficacy is available for the souls in
Purgatory, no less than for the living.
(c) The state of sanctifying grace is an es-
sential requisite.
(d) No other disposition or condition is re-
quired.
(e) While any venial sin is as yet unforgiven,
the remission of the temporal punishment due for
this sin cannot be obtained.
What is meant by "no other disposition" is
required?
It means, that provided the person for whom
the Mass is offered is in a state of grace, he will
The Fruits of the Mass 191
surely share this effiacy in the absence of any
actual devotion, or good affection, or special co-
operation. He does not need to know the Mass is
offered for him, and even if he is asleep when the
effect is applied, he will receive it.
What is the significancy of limiting this
Efficacy by an unfor given Venial Sin?
It means that the effect applies to the remission
of the punishment for all the other forgiven sins,
but is not available for the consequences of this
particular sin. Therefore, an absence of all venial
sin is not an essential condition, for even a person
who is actually committing a venial sin may par-
take of this efficacy for his other forgiven sins,
because he is presenting no obstacle through it to
the penalties incurred by these forgiven sins. The
temporal punishment, however, of the existing
venial fault cannot be cancelled until the sin itself
is forgiven.
Is there any other limit to this Efficacy of a
Propitiatory Sacrifice?
There is a limit fixed by the disposition of the
person for whom the Mass is offered, so that the
effect produced may be proportionate to the more
or less perfect co-operation. The opinion of St.
Thomas, that although "the efficacy of the Mass
in itself is all sufficient for the ransom of all
punishment, in its actual result it is both for those
who offer it, and those for whom it is offered re-
192 The Mass and Vestments
stricted to the measure of their devotion,"
determines the norma of this conclusion. The
more common verdict of the theologians is in ac-
cordance with what seems to be the plain meaning
of these words of the Angelic Doctor. Thus De
Lugo describes this effect, "as finite and de-
termined by the disposition of him for whom the
Mass is offered." Some few theologians, however,
of high authority declare that the effect is
independent of all question of co-operation or
dispositions, and, adopting their view, Suarez in-
terprets the restrictive judgment of St. Thomas
as applicable, not to those for whom the Mass is
offered, but to those who take part in its offering.
This interpretation seems, however, to be ir-
relevant and contradictory to the words of St.
Thomas.
Is this Efficacy for the Remission of Temporal
Punishment the same as for the Avpeasing of
God's Anger?
De Lugo declares the efficacy is similar in both
instances. This efficacy is to be regarded on the
one hand as limited, and on the other, as within
those limits, infallible. "I have said," says De
Lugo, "that this effect follows infallibly after the
manner and according to the measure of a Divine
appointment."
CHAPTER XV.
THE FRUITS OF THE MASS AND ITS APPLICATION.
To simplify, as far as we can, a complicated
subject, it must be dealt with under three divi-
sions:
(a) Mass as offered by our Lord, or by the
priest as His minister.
{b) By the Church, or by the priest as her
representative.
(c) By the priest as an individual, and by all
those who by any personal act take part in the
offering.
§ 1. THE FRUIT OF THE MASS AS OFFERED BY
OUR LORD.
What is the name and nature of this fruit?
It is called the Fructus Specialis, or Medius —
the special or middle fruit — middle, because it
stands mid-way, as it were, between the priest's
very special (specialissimus) fruit received by
himself, and the very general (generalissimus)
which is divided among the faithful generally.
This fruit is both Propiatory for sin and its
punishment, and Impetratory as an entreaty for
favors. This is the fruit and benefit of a
Mass which is entirely subject to the inten-
194 The Mass and Vestments
tion of the priest, and which he is bound to apply
for the welfare of those for whom, because of
a stipend or benefice, he is constrained to offer
the Mass.
7s this fruit ex opere operato, or operantis,
according to the terms already explained?
It is obviously ex opere operato.
What follows from this principle?
Whether of Impetration or Propitiation, the
fruit so derived is entirely independent of the
devotion, or personal holiness of the celebrant.
In its application, is it also independent of
co-operative dispositions of the person for whom
the Mass is offered?
It is not. The reasonableness of this negative
will be established by a reference to the unbap-
tized. They — and among the unbaptized, we
classify the catechumens, who otherwise stood so
near the faithful — are absolutely incapable of
receiving the fruit of the Mass, when offered for
satisfaction for sin.
Are they incapable of receiving the Impetra-
tory Efficacy of the Mass?
Some theologians, notably Vasquez, so teach.
De Lugo, however, in elaborate discussion argues:
"This sacrifice, so far as it is of Impetration, or
entreaty, or petition may be offered for any end
The Fruits of the Mass 195
meriting Divine approval, and therefore, not only
for the unbaptized, but also for things without
life, and things devoid of reason. Incredible is it
that it may be offered for the health of a cow or a
horse, and not for the spiritual welfare of an
unbaptized son or friend." (Disp. 19, Sec. X, n.
166). So too Mass for infidels, "not only indirectly,
but directly for the spiritual good of these infidels,
whether as individuals or as a community." (Disp.
78, Sect. 11, n. 7-8).
When offered for the satisfaction, or direct
Remission of Temporal Punishment due to Sin,
are there hindrances to its unqualified appli-
cation?
There are limitations hedging the efficacy of
every agent for the direct cancelling of temporal
punishment, which affect the Mass and intercept
its fruits. Thus:
(a) The Mass is powerless to obliterate the
punishment of a mortal or venial sin, whose guilt
is still existent.
(b) If the petitioner is in mortal sin, the Mass
is also inoperative for the remission of sins pre-
viously forgiven. In this instance, some theo-
logians suggest a theory of revival, or reviviscence,
when the obstacle is removed, of doubtful ac-
ceptance. It is the concurrent teaching of
theologians that reviviscence is not to be recognized
in ordinary works of satisfaction, nor in in-
196 The Mass and Vestments
dulgences, but acceptable in the satisfaction
enjoined in the Sacrament of Penance, as belong-
ing to a very special class.
(c) There is the hindrance known as "indi-
gentia actualis" — real and actual need — which
means that when the person for whom the Mass
is offered has no punishment for forgiven sin to
remit, the fruit of such Mass is inapplicable. The
important sequel of this conclusion is to determine
whether the fruit might not be reserved and
made available for a subsequent need. Dicastillo
thus sums up the denial of theologians: "They
prove it from the example of Indulgences which
are never granted for future sins, and from
Sacramental satisfaction, which does not remove
beforehand the penalties of sins to be yet com-
mitted. That would be in a way to establish an
impunity of sinning." (Disp. 3, dub. VI. n. 172).
What is the status of those capable oj receiv-
ing this Fruit?
Neither actual devotion nor knowledge of the
offering is required for its acceptance. "No co-
operation is needed, but both the unknowing and
the do-nothings can gain this fruit." (De Lugo,
Disp. 19. Sect. X. n. 196 ) . Indeed, De Lugo holds
the startling opinion, that the fruit of the Mass
being directed by the celebrant's intention is so
sure of its effect, that even the unwilling subject
of it will receive the remission of his sin's punish-
ment despite his objections.
The Fruits of the Mass 197
Setting aside these demonstrable but extreme
views, it is more profitable to take as the measure
of our fruitful participation in and concurrence
with the Mass the more probable and com-
mon opinion of theologians, that the net effect
produced in any case will depend upon the
more less perfect dispositions of the person for
whom the Mass is offered. "It is made satisfactory
both for those for whom offered and those offer-
ing, according to the sum of their devotion." "It
profits them more or less according to the measure
of their devotion." (St. Thomas, 3, quest. 79,
art 5, 7).
Can the Church prohibit the application of
this Fruit to any person or persons?
The Church may prohibit, so as to make un-
lawful, the application of this fruit to certain
persons, as for instance, in the case of the excom-
municated who are to be shunned or vitandi, and
Suarez includes the tolerati, or less criminal ex-
communicates in the same class.
The Church, however, cannot by any restrictive
order affect the validity of such application, if
actually made by the priest. "If he offer as the
minister of Christ and in His name, he does indeed
that which is illicit by so doing, but validly,
nevertheless, because in this action, he is no more
dependent on the Church than he is in a valid
Consecration. (De Lugo, Disp. 19, Sect. X, n. 185).
198 The Mass and Vestments
Does the Church by Precept or othemvise
Command that a vortion of this Fruit be
reserved and applied to all the Faithful?
A few theologians teach that some residuum of
the fruit of every Mass offered by our Lord,
either by Church precept or Divine appointment,
must be applied for the benefit of all the faithful.
Vasquez is one of them, with the assertion that
the fruit of Impetration, as well as satisfaction
must be thus reserved. (Disp. 231, Cap. VI, n. 36).
It is conjectured with some show of probability,
that these theologians had in mind the fruit of a
Mass offered by the Church, and not by our Lord,
which alone is under analysis here.
What is to be said regarding this opinion?
(a) There is a practical certitude that the opinion
is untenable as regards the fruit of satisfaction.
(b) It is certain that the priest is obliged to
apply this fruit in its entirety to the person or
persons only, for whom by reason of the stipend
he is obliged to offer the Mass.
(c) As regards the fruit of Impetration, which
is divisible without trespass on any of the rights
of the person for whom the Mass is offered, there
is no evidence that such an obligation exists.
What is the general rule with reference to
the application of the Fruit of the Mass?
It is made by the intention of the celebrant,
The Fruits of the Mass 199
and therefore it is the fruit which is really
applied, and not that which, for some reason,
ought to be applied which is effective.
What sort of intention is required?
Neither a present actual intention, nor one
virtually persevering is required. An intention
previously formed and not recalled, known as
habitual, suffices. Even that intention is enough
which Lacroix calls interpretative, and which is
more properly implicit habitual, when, for
instance, through inadvertence, the celebrant
makes no special appropriation of the fruit, and
yet he would have discharged a definite obligation
by it, or given it to himself, if he had remem-
bered in time. Therefore, in the absence of a
special or explicit intention, a general or implicit
purpose to aid himself, or the souls in Purgatory,
or satisfy for a stipend received, and for the time
overlooked, will avail. The various explicit peti-
tions accompanying the offering of the Host in
the Mass are responsible for the very general
opinion that some such intention is always the
concomitant of every Mass.
In the absence of every intention, ivhat is
the fate of the Mass-Jruit?
It remains unapplied. Perhaps it goes into the
Church's treasury whence Indulgences derive
their value.
200 The Mass and Vestments
With reference to the fruit of Impetration,
this conclusion is indisputable. "Who asks noth-
ing," says De Lugo, "cannot be said to impetrate
or petition. Who in the Mass asks God for
nothing, does not beg by this kind of entreaty."
As regards the fruit of satisfaction, there is
the questionable opinion of some theologians that
it belongs to the celebrant in the absence of every
intention. Why he should have a right prior to
every one else is not quite clear. Besides, it is
expedient to remember that the fruit here in
question is not the fruit of a Mass by the priest,
but that of a Mass offered by our Lord, which
may alter this opinion. The unavoidable con-
clusion seems to be, that the fruit in this instance
remains reserved or unapplied.
$ 2 THE FRUITS OF THE MASS AS OFFERED
BY THE CHURCH.
What is the special character of this Fruit?
The fruit of the sacrifice when thus considered
is of Impetration only.
How is it applied?
The terms and measure of its application may
be discerned in the piayer at the Offertory of the
Host — of the chalice — in the beginning of the
Canon, and at the Memento. It is a fruit placed
at the disposal of all the faithful.
The Fruits of the Mass 201
By what name is it known?
It is called generalis, and generalissimus —
(general and very general) . Being of Impetra-
tion, it may be necessary to recall the principle of
a shrunken efficacy, when shared by a number of
persons or objects.
May a Priest validly exclude any of the
Faithful from this Fruit?
The question has divided theologians. De Lugo
maintains the affirmative; Suarez the negative.
All, however, concur in the inordinate sinfulness
of such an exclusion.
How does the Church bar any Person from
this Fruit?
The Church forbids the application of this fruit
to the excommunicated.
What Class of Excommunicated?
There are two classes of the excommunicated
concerned: the shunned, or vitandi, and the non-
shunned, or non-vitandi, or tolerati.
(a) It is improper for a priest to directly offer
this fruit to the first class. An indirect appro-
priation is lawful in the same way that heretics
and infidels may be prayed for.
(b) An application of this fruit by the priest
in the name of the Church to those of the second
class was a prolonged cause of discussion among
202 The Mass and Vestments
theologians, with Suarez on the negative side and
De Lugo favoring the affirmative, which has come
to be generally accepted.
§ 3 THE FRUITS OF THE MASS AS OFFERED BY THE
PRIEST AS AN INDIVIDUAL, AND THOSE
WHO CO-OPERATE WITH HIM.
What is this Fruit called?
The fruit of the Mass distinctively available for
the benefit of the priest is technically called
specialissimus (very special). As to its value
there exist some curious theological speculations.
Some writers give its efficacy as equal to the
fructus specialis, and others allow it only one-
third of such efficacy.
By what title is this Fruit obtained?
Because the personal offering of the priest and
of those who co-operate with him is endowed
with all the ordinary efficacy of personal good
works.
What is the meaning of this Efficacy?
It is threefold: Of impetration, merit and
satisjaction.
Is this effect divisible?
It is. A person in sin cannot merit or satisfy
for sin. He may, however, by a fervent prayer
obtain infallibly the grace of repentance. His
The Fruits of the Mass 203
prayer, therefore, or other work, is invested with
the efficacy of Impetration, exclusive, however, of
merit and satisfaction. It is also possible for good
acts to be devoid of their impetratory value, and
yet possess the power of merit and expiation, as
when the Church outlaws the excommunicated
from a share in the Mass.
7s the above Efficacy or Fruitfulness appli-
cable to others?
The efficacy of impetration and satisfaction,
but not of merit, may be applied to the living, or
to the souls in Purgatory.
Who alone have the right to make this appli-
cation?
Only those who have offered and joined in and
helped the offering of the Mass. The priest, the
acolyte, the sacristan who has prepared the vest-
ments and the altar, the person for whom offered
and the individual members of the congregation
hearing the Mass have all acquired a special fruit
because of their good work, and it is their privi-
lege to deprive themselves of this fruit and trans-
fer it to others, if they so elect.
Is this Fruit ex opere operato or operantis?
According to these terms already explained, it
is chiefly ex opere operantis, although not ex-
clusively, for the reason that its power of entreaty
204 The Mass and Vestments
and petition is derived substantially from the
Holy Sacrifice offered to God, and in this special
sense may be regarded as ex opere operato.
How Jar does the Priest control this very
special Fruit?
To the extent that in the Memento, and in all
other prayers of the Missal, he is free to give to
persons, otherwise excluded from his prayers and
Mass, as the representative of the Church, that
portion of the fruit which is exclusively his own
individual possession.
Bibliography— Theologians: Vasquez, Suarez, De Lugo, de
Liguori, Dicastillo, St. Thomas, Lemkuhl, Noldin, Gasparri,
Peter Dens, Irish Ecci. Record, 1882-1883.
CHAPTER XVI.
ON THE OBLATA OR OFFERINGS FOR MASSES.
How many parts are there in the Eucharist?
Two: The sacramental oblation, or Sacrifice of
the Mass, or representative commemoration before
God of Christ's sufferings in accomplishing the
work of man's deliverance, and the sacrificial
Communion, or means of increasing the Divine life
by worthily partaking of the same.
What are the Essentials of the Eucharist?
Bread and wine as the remote matter; their
offering as the proximate matter, and the prayer
that they may be accepted in Heaven in accord-
ance with Christ's institution as the form.
How are these materials prepared?
The bread from pure wheaten flour and water
to represent the offerers united among them-
selves. The wine, the pure juice of the grape
properly made, and not freshly squeezed nor yet
acid, and a little water added, not enough to drown
the wine, to represent the people united to Christ,
or, as others teach, to typify the union of the
Divinity and Humanity in one Divine Person,
Christ.
206 The Mass and Vestments
Is this Bread leavened or unleavened?
The Eastern Church always consecrated
leavened bread. According to Mabillon, unleavened
bread was always used in the West. Cardinal
Bona and Sirmond, however, hold that up to the
year 867, leavened and unleavened bread were
used indiscriminately, but that unleavened bread
became the rule by 1054.
What proportion of Alcohol is allowed in the
Wine?
For many years the net proportion of alcohol
both native to the wine and superadded was not
to exceed twelve per cent. As many of the
Spanish wines, however, have twelve per cent
after first fermentation, and require an additional
amount to prevent acidity in exportation, in
response to a petition of the archbishop of Tarra-
gona, the Sacred Congregation, August 5, 1896,
made the maximum proportion of alcohol eighteen
per cent.
With respect to these Sacrificial elements
ivhat was the practice of the early Church?
The faithful donated all the bread and wine used
in the service.
Did they make gifts only of Bread and
Wine?
They also donated wheat and grapes.
The Offerings for Mass 207
When was this offering of materials for the
Sacrifice made?
At the Offertory, or at the conclusion of the
Mass of Catechumens.
What name was given to these offerings?
They were called sacrifices or eulogies.
Were all Christians allowed to make them?
To insure a pure, safe offering, only those
Christians were allowed to make them who could
receive Communion. Therefore, public peni-
tents, catechumens, criminals, public sinners, the
excommunicated, usurers, matricides and those
allowing their children to be baptized in heresy
were excluded from the privilege.
By what other appellation were these offer-
ings known?
They were also called "common" gifts, to dis-
tinguish them from special alms and given by one
or many of the faithful for an individual or
multiple appropriation of the fruits of the Mass.
What was the purpose of these Special
Alms?
As the common gifts were destined for the
Sacrifice, the alms were given for the support
of the clergy.
When and how was the offering of Alms
made?
208 The Mass and Vestments
Either before the Gospel, or the end of the
Mass, or at the bishop's house. During the Mass,
the bishop with his clerics collected the alms of
the faithful.
This offering was three-fold, corresponding
with three distinct positions in the Church held by
(1) laymen, (2) deacons, (3) priests. The people
offered the bread and wine, corn or flour and grapes.
The deacon selected what was needed for the
actual sacrifice. The priest blessed and made
oblation of it. In the beginning, the grain or
flour was presented as raw material, and prepared
as newly-baked bread for the Offertory. When
the services began to be abbreviated before the
fifth century, oblation-loaves (hostise) called
obleys, ubbles or hosts already baked and prepared
came to be offered by the people.
The fifth Council of Aries (554) requires these
loaves to be all of one shape like the pattern in
Aries.
The Council of Macon (585) commands all,
both men and women, to make an offering of
bread and wine every Sunday.
The Council of Chelsea (787) directed whole
loaves to be offered, and not detached pieces.
Hincmar of Rheims (852) forbids any one to
offer more than one oblation-loaf for himself and
his family, and directing other gifts to be made
before or after the service.
The Offerings for Mass 209
The Trullan Council (691) forbade grapes,
and the Council of Braga (675) freshly made
wine.
The bishop in person received the oblation-
loaves as a credential they were presented by
worthy persons, whilst the deacons received the
oblation-wine.
When did the offering of materials for the
Sacrifice cease?
At the end of the sixth century the custom
began to wane through a relaxing of the fervour
of the faithful, and the abstention from frequent
Communion. It was then restricted for a time to
Sundays only and became the almost exclusive
privilege of women. By the twelfth century it
had ceased entirely except among clerics.
After the establishment of the parochial system
(1250 ) and the appointment of vicars to Collegiate
churches, the people's offertory became obsolete
and the oblation-bread and wine were either sup-
plied by the parishes or the vicar. Late as 1569
Maldonatus found in some places the old custom
yet followed, as now in Milan. In certain parishes
of the Diocese of Riez according to Le Brun (1716)
a loaf, dish of meal and bottle of wine were
offered at Masses for the dead. This was also the
practice at Rouen in 1698 and in Wiltshire in 1638.
What are the Jacts for the ofigin and growth
of Alms or Stipends for Masses in vogue now?
210 The Mass and Vestments
St. Epiphanius (347), St. Benedict (543), Ul-
trogotha, the queen of King Childebert (558), St.
John, The Almoner, of Alexandria (686), St. Bede
(679), bear witness for themselves and others that
stipends were given for Masses. By the eighth
century the custom was so generally established
that a council in Germany, presided over by St.
Boniface (742) decreed that "every priest in the
Lent must report to his bishop the profits arising
from baptisms and Masses to forestall abuses."
To the eighth century, Mabillon, Thomassin, Van
Espen and Guiard ascribe the origin of stipends
for private Masses, and by the twelfth century
the practice became universal. To restrain the
affluent influx of these stipends, Pope Eugene II,
in the Council of Rome (862) and Leo IV in
another Roman Council (853) inhibited priests
from accepting all the alms offered them for
Masses. Alexander II in the eleventh century
refers to a practice of many daily Masses by the
same priest for the sake of the stipend and pro-
scribes it as an abuse.
What were the reasons for these special Alms
for Masses?
(1) The early fervour which prompted the
offerings of wine and bread for the sacrifice had
chilled, and in lieu of them the faithful who
aspired to a share in the Mass substituted money
offerings. Some were not satisfied with this joint
or corporate share of the sacrificial efficacy and
The Offerings for Mass 211
gradually the practice developed of giving money
to the priest outside the Mass for a special appro-
priation of its fruits.
(2) Another cause was the persuasion that a
Mass was more efficacious when offered for one or
a limited number than when applied to all the
faithful.
(3) Still another reason was the relaxation of
popular piety, which in its heyday prompted at-
tendance at all the more solemn services, and in
its decline turned away from the more protracted
and sought the shorter private Mass, and, especially,
the Votive Masses, which according to the Gallic
rite were offered for special intentions.
( 4 ) The new custom, as might be anticipated,
was very acceptable to the priests and received
their cordial encouragement. Whilst under the
old regime that part of the material oblations not
actually used in the sacrifice was converted and
applied to the use of the clergy, the new form of
alms, given directly to the priest, realized its pur-
pose by a less circuitous route.
By what names is this offering known?
It is called a tax, stipend, intention, offering,
honorary and eleemosynae, or alms, which last
name is preferred.
Did these Alms Jor Masses evoke opposition?
John Wyckliffe (1324-1384) the English heresi-
arch, first condemned them, and Protestants
212 The Mass and Vestments
generally, following the lead of John Calvin,
(1509-1564) are in opposition to them. A few
Catholic writers treat them with disfavor and
recommend the restoration of the material obla-
tions of the primitive Church, and the notorious
Synod of Pistoja (1786 ) convened by the Grand
Duke Leopold of Tuscany sounded a note of cen-
sure. A Council of Toledo (1324) forbade the
exaction, but permitted the free offering for Masses.
What is the present status of the question?
A priest is justified not only in accepting, but
in exacting a stipend for the celebration and ap-
plication of a Mass.
WJiat arguments are available in support of
this custom?
(1) The universal usage of the Church from
the eighth century.
(2) There is a Divine and natural sanction for
the custom:
(a) Christ said: (Matthew, Chap. X, v. 10) "For
the laborer is worthy of his food;" St. Paul (1 Cor.
Chap. IX, 7, sq.) subjoins: "Who serveth as a
soldier at any time at his own charges (expense)?
Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not the fruit
thereof? Who feedeth a flock and eateth not of
the milk of the flock? Or doth not the law also
say these things? Know you not that they who
work in the holy place eat the things that are of
the holy place, and they that serve the altar par-
take with the altar?"
The Offerings for Mass 213
(b) By the dictates of natural justice no one is
obliged to spend himself gratuitously in the service
of another. Hence, by a strict obligation, the
faithful are bound to support their clergy who
give an equivalent of spiritual service, and over
against this duty of support lies the right to exact
it, for both are correlative.
(3) The fourth Council of Lateran (1215), the
Council of Trent (1545-1563, Session XXV) and
Pius VI in condemning a contrary opinion declared
by the irregular Synod of Pistoja (1786) approved
the custom.
Does not the exaction oj Stipends for Masses
savor of Simony?
Simony is the commutation of a thing spiritual
or annexed unto spirituals by giving something
that is temporal, or a deliberate act, or a premedi-
tated will and desire of selling such things as are
spiritual, or of anything annexed unto spirtuals
by giving something of a temporal nature for the
purchase thereof.
It is simoniacal to exact pecuniary remunera-
tion for the intrinsic labor involved in the perform-
ance of a spiritual service, whether of Mass or the
adminstration of the Sacraments, for the intrinsic
labor is identified with, and annexed to the
spiritual result. To anticipate and safeguard
scandal and abuse, the Church could prohibit the
acceptance of any pecuniary offering for any
214 The Mass and Vestments
spiritual function, the violation of which would be
simony by ecclesiastical enactment. The priest,
however, does not demand a stipend for the Mass,
nor for the intrinsic and immediate labor of it,
but for the extrinsic labor such as the fast, the
chant, the journey, and also as an item for his sup-
port, to which he is entitled.
Has not the Council of Trent (Session XXII)
prohibited Stipends?
The original draft of the decree contemplated
an approximation to that of the Council of Toledo
(1324), prohibiting the exaction of a stipend, but
on the remonstrance of the bishop of Naxos, one of
the Clyclades in the Aegean Sea, who con-
tended that it was justified by the right of self-
support, the decree was cast in its present form,
which permits a stipend. In this decree, there is
a reference made to a species of avarice in con-
nection with "Novse Missse" or the first Mass of
a new priest, who, pursuant to an old custom,
collected the alms of the faithful by leaving the
altar and going about the church. Gregory XIII
(1573) forbade departure from the altar, but al-
lowed the newly ordained celebrant from his place
at the altar to face the people and accept their
alms. This privilege demonstrates the right of a
just stipend for a first Mass, which is not cur-
tailed or denied for other Masses.
The Offerings for Mass 215
How then are we to understand the instruc-
tion given to Bishops by the Council of Trent
that they prohibit all pacts and conditions of
traffic, and all importunate and exorbitant
demands for money?
It has reference only to simoniacal transactions
and superstitious practices and all usages foreign
to the law and discipline of the Church.
Can a rich Priest exact a stipend?
The fact of his wealth does not exempt the
faithful from the duty of supporting the ministry,
nor contravene his right to exact it. St. Paul asks
"who serveth as a soldier at his own expense?"
and neither Pontiff nor Council discriminates
between rich and needy priests.
When many priests celebrate jointly is each
entitled to a stipend?
In the Eastern Church, concelebration is the
ordinary, though not the exclusive method of say-
ing Mass, which signifies, that associated with the
bishop or other chief celebrant, are one or many
others who in unison consecrate the Host and
Chalice, and therefore join in the same sacrifice by
an active participation. In the first ages of the
Western Church this form of a corporate Mass
was the usual custom. The sole exemplar of such
a Mass now is in the consecration of a bishop
and the ordination of a priest.
216 The Mass and Vestments
The Council of Mount Lebanon (1736) for the
Maronites, and Benedict XIV by a Bull, dated
December 24, 1743, for the Melchite Greeks, per-
mitted each co-celebrant to receive a stipend.
The same privilege is granted in the Western
Church according to Benedict XIV, St. Alphonsus
de Liguori and Gasparri, if it is certain that the
donor of the stipend knowingly consents.
Who fixes the Tax or Stipend for a Mass?
The bishop in his diocese for Secular and Regular
priest alike determines the amount of the stipend.
By a decree (n. 369) of the Second Council of
Baltimore, a bishop may even prohibit the regular
acceptance of a fee less than the statutory stipend.
This regulation, however, is not violated by the
acceptance of a moiety from the poor for the
celebration of a Mass.
What factors determine the amount of the
Stipend?
The hour at which the Mass is to be said, the
chant, the distance to be travelled and the per-
manency of the burden assumed.
Is a uniform standard possible in prescrib-
ing a Stipend?
Because of an indeterminate variety of economic
conditions in time and place, the Council of Trent
and the Sacred Congregation have refused to
decree a universal standard and, therefore, have
The Offerings for Mass 217
relinquished it to the local bishops. Benedict XIV,
however, is averse to a maximum stipend because
a priest is not dependent on his Masses for his
entire support, and Suarez reaches the same con-
clusion because a Mass demands neither the entire
day nor the greater part of it. An additional
argument is based on the fact, that priests ordained
with an assured benefice or a patrimony for their
becoming sustenance are not entirely dependent
on their Masses. This last condition being in-
applicable to priests engaged in the ministry in
special countries, like the United States, amplifies
their privilege to accept a more generous stipend.
What is the average stipend for a Mass in
the United States?
For a Low Mass the customary stipend often
fixed by Synodal statute is one dollar. For
a High Mass and a funeral service with chant
and organist the amount varies in different
dioceses.
Can a Priest exact more than the statutory
stipend?
To demand more than the legal stipend creates
a presumption of simony in foro externo, and a
fact of simony, at least, by ecclesiastical legislation
in foro interno and is therefore prohibited. He
may, however, accept gratuities for Masses in
excess of the standard stipend.
218 The Mass and Vestments
What is the nature of the obligation assumed
by a Priest who accepts a stipend?
There is an explicit or implicit contract whereby
the priest in consideration of a stipend, given for
his support, agrees to offer a Mass by an obligation
of justice.
In how many ways does this obligation bind?
Four — to the number, time, locality and quality
of the Mass.
What is the rule relative to the number of
Masses?
There must be as many Masses as there are
stipends accepted. Therefore, Alexander VII
(1665) condemned those who taught many
stipends could be discharged by one Mass, and that
a single Mass could be offered for a double stipend
by assigning the ordinary fruit of the Mass to one
intention and the priest's share of it to the other.
The same rule obtains even when the number of
Masses is not specified, and when a sum less than
the standard tax is knowingly and willingly ac-
cepted.
What is the obligation as to the time oj the
celebration of the Mass?
(1) If a definite day be mutually agreed upon
because of a special need or intention for that day,
the Mass must be offered according to that under-
standing. If a day is specialized, not for its own
The Offerings for Mass 219
sake so much as to be assured of the Mass within
a certain time, a slight anticipatory or dilatory
departure from the day appointed is permissible.
If a definite time is fixed like a week or fifteen
days, or one month, the Mass must be offered
within that time. If the urgent and present
necessity for which a Mass is invoked, like an ex-
pected death, or an auspicious birth, or a pressing
danger is specified, the Mass must not be delayed.
(2) If the time limit is left indeterminate, all
former decrees are superseded by an Instruction
of the Sacred Congregation of the Council
approved by Pius X, issued May 11, 1904, and
enjoining the following:
(a) The ordinary time within which a Mass
must be said is one month; for one hundred
Masses six months, and so in proportion.
(6) No one is allowed to accept more stipends
than he can discharge in one year from date of
acceptance, except with the consent of the donor.
(c) All Masses remaining unsaid after the lapse
of a year must with their stipends be transferred
to the bishop, unless the excess is trifling and
their celebration is prorogued by consent of the
donors.
(d) Extra Masses which a priest is free to dis-
pose of may be surrendered with the stipends to
the Holy See, or bishop, or any irreproachable
priest.
220 The Mass and Vestments
(e) Such delivery to the Holy See, or bishop
acquits the priest of all further responsibility. A
transfer to other priests, however, carries with it
a personal obligation until he knows that the
Masses have been said. If, therefore, through
loss of the stipends, or death, or other mischance,
the intentions be left unexecuted, the priest who
gave them must discharge the obligation.
(3) If the donor is informed by the priest that
he cannot offer the Mass at any specified time, and
is willing to abide by his convenience, he may
accept the alms and say the Mass at the most
suitable time.
What is the most recent legislation regard-
ing the disposal of Mass stipends?
In a decree of the S. Congregation of the
Council, August, 1904, the Holy See renewed and
emphasized by certain additional restrictions the
existing canonical prescriptions regarding the ac-
ceptance and disposition of stipends received
from the faithful for Masses. It laid bishops and
priests under the obligation not to collect or receive
offerings for Masses, unless they are able person-
ally to satisfy the duty or delegate it, on their
own responsibility, without permitting indiscrimi-
nate liberty in assigning stipends to other priests,
unless they are sure from personal knowledge that
the Masses would be said within a given time.
Moreover, the Ordinaries were to be made the
The Offerings for Mass 221
depositaries of Mass obligations which had ac-
cumulated or had not been fulfilled within the
time assigned, and they were to dispose of the
stipends among really needy priests. Of these
transactions registers were to be kept both by the
individual priest who received the stipends and by
the bishop who disposed of the surplus of unsaid
Masses. In all cases the obligation of answering
for the saying of the Masses would remain with
the party who had transferred the stipend to
another priest, until he was assured that the
Masses had actually been said.
There were also distinct regulations to prevent
the danger of traffic of sacred things, such as the
exchange or compact to say Masses in payment
for subscriptions to periodicals, or for books, or for
the cancelling of membership fees in pious con-
gregations, for the support of shrines and chari-
table works of any kind. The penalty for violation
of these rules was in some cases suspension ipso
facto for priests, and excommunication for laymen.
Now the S. Congregation complains that these
laws have been evaded in various ways, and that
the spirit of avarice ever close to the temple has
taken on some new forms. Under plea of supply-
ing missionary needs, priests and agents have
gone about collecting stipends for Masses, with the
assumed understanding and consent of the donors,
that part of the offering is to be devoted to the
necessities of the mission and the support of other
222 The Mass and Vestments
undertakings. Part of the Masses were con-
signed to priests who were willing to accept a
lesser amount than the original offering, and the
remainder was used at the discretion of those who
had collected the stipend. Frequently these "in-
tentions" were sent abroad to priests of dioceses
in which the customary stipend is lower than
elsewhere; and sometimes they were entrusted to
priests entirely unknown and whose sense of
responsibility offered no guarantee that the Masses
would be conscientiously said.
In view of these abuses the Holy See not only
urges anew the former prescriptions, but defines
them still more closely, whilst making the
Ordinaries directly responsible within their juris-
diction for a careful and conscientious supervision
of the matter. Accordingly the S. Congregation
ordains sub gravi conscientise vinculo ab omni-
bus servanda:
(1) That Mass stipends are not to be given to
priests of another diocese, whether they be
Religious or Seculars, except with the explicit
sanction of the Ordinary or the Provincial. The
words of the decree make the Ordinary practically
the dispenser of all the intentions or stipends
given to priests under his jurisdiction. Hence —
(2) The Ordinary of each diocese is to keep a
register of the names of his priests, and in it are
to be noted the Masses assigned to each through
or by the Ordinary. This is to guide him in the
The Offerings for Mass 223
proper and equitable distribution of such stipends
as are left with the bishop, either from the sur-
plus of unsaid Masses at the end of the year, or
from the stipends which come to him from non-
diocesan sources.
(3) Lest, however, these restrictions prevent
the exercise of that charity by which the priests
of the foreign missions in the East have hitherto
become beneficiaries of the generosity of well-to-
do Catholics among the clergy and laity, the S.
Congregation of Propaganda is constituted the
official depository of all offerings for Masses in-
tended for the Oriental missions. Hence, those
who wish to aid priests in the foreign missions by
offerings for Masses shall have to send the
stipends directly to the S. Congregation in Rome
whence they will be distributed according to the
known needs of the respective missions.
These measures are stringent in view of the
practice which hitherto prevailed, especially in the
freedom with which foreign missionaries have
been in the habit of collecting stipends during
their sojourns abroad. Naturally these priests
appeal to the sympathy of the stranger people
among whom they preach. The indiscriminate
liberality of the faithful often begets a vague
sense of irresponsibility on the part of the visiting
priest; and a missionary who on his rounds collects
hundreds and thousands of intentions, hoping to
satisfy them in the course of time, or dispose of
224 The Mass and Vestments
them among his brethren on his return home,
may not only lose sight of the record of his obliga-
tions, but may be overtaken by sickness or death,
leaving his promises unfulfilled. Frequently, too,
missionary pretenders, who get along on their
appearance or on the strength of their familiarity
with local church matters, have been found to
abuse the serious trust implied in the acceptance
of Mass stipends, and not only deceived those who
had confided in their honest looks, but also created
a general distrust, to the unfortunate lessening of
charity where it is really needed and effective.
By making the Ordinaries or the Sacred Con-
gregation the distributors of Mass stipends outside
the diocese, another source of abuse is prevented.
It is well known that as the value of money and
the cost of living differ in different countries, so
does the customary stipend for Masses. In the
United States the usual stipend is one dollar; in
Canada the Dominican Fathers have long adver-
tised that they say Masses for fifty cents. In
Italy and France the stipend is one franc. As the
priestly function and the service of the Mass are
of the same value everywhere, it follows that a
priest in France whom an American asks to say a
Mass, is much more benefitted than he would be
by a request to say Mass from a person of his own
diocese. This has given rise, very naturally, to
anxiety on the part of the priests in poorer
dioceses to obtain Mass stipends from those abroad
The Offerings for Mass 225
who make larger offerings; and when such an
exchange of poverty and uncostly generosity
occurs between a priest who transfers his surplus
to a needy stranger, it sometimes happens that
the poorer priest can return the charity done him
by using his influence in other directions for his
benefactor. Such exchange is not simony, nor is
it bribing, but it is sometimes a convenient way
of getting things, which are thought out in
America, done and promoted by needy subordi-
nates in Italy, and whilst the method is free
probably from blame of dishonesty, it is frequently
open to the service of conscious or unconscious self-
interest. Moreover, when such stipends are sent
to the Ordinary of a strange diocese, they are
more likely to be disposed of for the benefit of
priests who need them, and thus are sustained
poor missions whose incumbents rarely receive Mass
intentions from other sources. In this way, we
understand, the Mission Extension Society disposes
of many intentions through the bishops in needy
places.
The exact keeping of records of Mass stipends
according to the form suggested by this new
legislation is one of the items to be entered on the
detailed list for the canonical visitation of parishes.
By a more recent decree of the Cardinal Prefect
of the Congregation of Propaganda, July 15, 1908,
Mass intentions destined for the support of mis-
sionaries in the East are to be thus regulated:
226 The Mass and Vestments
(1) They may be forwarded either through the
Sacred Congregation of Propaganda or the
Apostolic Delegates credited to Eastern countries,
with instructions as to how many Masses or
stipends should be given to the prelates or priests
within their jurisdiction.
(2) They must never be sent to lay persons
for distribution.
(3) Nor given directly to the priests on these
Oriental missions, nor to the Superiors of Mis-
sionary Congregations, nor to Eastern prelates or
Vicars patriarchal.
(4) They may, however, be forwarded directly
to bishops invested with ordinary jurisdiction in
the East by bishops and priests to relieve the
necessities of those missionaries only who are
subject to them. (Decree of March 18, 1908). To
safeguard a surplusage of intentions in any one
diocese the Apostolic Delegate must be notified of
the number sent and the bishop to whom sent.
What is the obligation as to the place oj the
Mass?
Donors of alms for Masses may specify a privi-
leged altar, or a special church or altar not
privileged, or a shrine-church.
(1) Privileged Altar.
(a) The obligation is discharged by a Mass on
a privileged altar, or on any altar by a priest who
enjoys the personal privilege of a privileged altar.
The Offerings for Mass 227
(b) The obligation is discharged by a priest
who, in good faith, celebrates on a privileged
altar, but through some defect, like the substitu-
tion of a saint's Mass for a Mass of requiem, fails
to obtain the plenary indulgence, if he gain and
apply to the intention another plenary indulgence.
Decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences,
February 22, 1847.
(c) The obligation is not discharged by a Mass
offered on a non-privileged altar, even though the
celebrant obtain and apply to the soul a plenary
indulgence gained, for example, by the recitation
of the prayer, "En Ego," after Mass.
(2) A special Church or Altar.
If the donor determine a particular church or
altar because of a special devotion to a saint, or
statue, or relics, through whose intercession
favors have been already received, the Mass must
be celebrated in the appointed place.
(3) Shrine-churches.
If the Mass may be and is offered in above
church, the obligation is obviously cancelled. As,
however, the number of such intentions is largely
in excess of every possibility of discharge in the
desired place, Benedict XIV recommends that a
bulletin be posted in some public place notifying
the faithful that all the Masses cannot be offered
at the shrine, but every diligence will be employed
to have them said promptly in other churches.
228 The Mass and Vestments
In the absence of such a bulletin, the bishop may
order the transfer of the extra Masses, because
whilst he cannot alter the intentions of the donors,
he may interpret them when their fulfillment is
hindered by an impediment of law or fact.
What does the obligation as to the quality of
the Mass imply?
It implies on the part of the givers of the
stipends a preference for a Mass for the dead, or
a Mass of requiem, or a Mass for the living, or a
votive Mass, or a Mass in honor of some mystery
or saint, or a solemn or a chanted Mass.
(1) Mass far the dead.
This obligation is satisfied by any Mass of a
double or semi-double rite, even though it be not
a Mass of requiem or a Mass in black vestments.
The reason is, that the application of the Mass is
one factor; its rite another. If a Mass of requiem
is desired the rite of the Mass is determined. If
the offering is given for a Mass for the dead, its
application is the chief consideration, and as every
Mass, independent of the color of the vestments,
has, substantially, the same efficacy, the stipend is
satisfied by any Mass.
(2) Mass of requiem.
If there is a definite wish expressed for a Mass
of a requiem, the celebrant is obliged not only to
offer it for the dead, but to say a Mass of requiem
when permitted by the rubrics.
The Offerings for Mass 229
(3) Mass for the Living.
Every Mass, even a Mass of requiem, is adequate
for the discharge of this obligation, 'because the
special fruit of the sacrifice which is sought for
the intention is the same in all Masses.
(4) Votive Mass.
A demand for a votive Mass of saint or mystery-
is not satisfied by a Mass on a day of double rite.
The priest is obliged to await a day on which a
votive Mass may be said according to the rubrics
and apply it according to the intention of the
donor of the stipend.
(5) Mass in Honor of Saint or Mystery.
If a votive Mass is intended and understood, it
must be said. If the wish be rather for a Mass
which will promote the honor and veneration of
the saint or mystery and serve as a thank-offering
for benefits conferred, the most convenient Mass
may be selected.
(6) Solemn, Chanted or Low Masses.
In executing the wish of a donor of stipends
care must be taken to distinguish between a
Solemn Mass, with deacon and sub-deacoh7 a
Chanted Mass and a read or Low Mass. They
are not identical, and conformity must always be
sought between the special kind of Mass and the
express desire of the donor.
230 The Mass and Vestments
Can a Priest accept Stipends for more than
one Mass on any Day?
Christmas Day alone excepted, a priest is pro-
hibited from accepting more than one stipend on
any day, even though he may be privileged to
offer two Masses on certain days.
When and where did this prohibition origi-
nate?
All the theologians down to the middle of the
nineteenth century make no reference to it.
Bouvier and Gousset, as recent as 1840, deny it
and permit a dual stipend for a dual Mass in the
first editions of their Theologies, although the
permission is reversed in the later editions. As
late as 1858, priests in many dioceses of France
were accepting in good faith a double stipend for
two Masses. The only restriction existing from
the time of Alexander II (1061-1073) was that a
priest could not celebrate often on the same day
merely for the sake of the increased alms.
The prohibition began with a decree of the
Sacred Congregation of the Council (December
19, 1835) in response to a petition of a priest of
one parish soliciting the privilege of duplicating,
or celebrating two Masses on certain days and
asking whether appeal must be made to the Holy
See for the concession. The answer is in the
affirmative for ten years, with the proviso, "that
he must not accept a stipend for the second
The Offerings for Mass 231
Mass," which signifies according to Ballerini that
a stipend is permissible for the first, or the second
Mass, but not for both.
The inspiration and norma of this decision was
the Brief of Benedict XIV (August 26, 1748)
rigidly excluding both stipend and gratuity from
the triple Mass permitted to the priests of Spain
and Portugal on All Souls' Day (Nov. 2). The
exclusion is justified by the desire to restrain
avarice and silence unjust criticism and, therefore,
when a plurality of Masses is allowed, a plurality
of stipends must be prescinded.
All the more recent legislation of the Church
has confirmed and emphasized this decision.
Are there any exceptions to this rule?
Pius IX, May 24, 1870, authorized bishops in
missionary countries to allow priests under an ex-
ceptional stress of poverty to accept a double
stipend. Leo XIII mitigated the severity of the
regulation for three dioceses in Belgium — Namur,
(Nov. 19, 1878), for five years; Tournay, (Nov.
29, 1880), for three years; Mechlin, (Dec. 13, 1880),
for three years. In the first instance the extra
stipend must be donated to the Seminary, in the
second, to religious instruction and poor curates,
and in the third, to Catholic schools.
When the second Mass entails special ex-
trinsic labor and inconvenience, is an extra
stipend allowed?
232 The Mass and Vestments
A decree of the Sacred Congregation (May 23,
1861) consigns to the prudent judgment of the
bishops to determine whether in a given case a
priest is justified in accepting a special remunera-
tion for the exceptional trouble involved in a
second Mass. In this instance, he is, however,
barred from accepting the stipend for the appli-
cation of the Mass.
Bibliography: Reichel, Canon Law, 1896; S. Many,
S. S., De Missa, 1900; Mechlin Conferences, 1877, p. 78;
Synods of the Diocese af Albany; II Council of Baltimore;
Martene, De Antiquis Ecclesiae ritibus, 1788; Bingham,
Origines Eccles. 1728; Thomassin, Discipline de l'Eglise,
1866; Mabillon, Acta Sanctorum O. S. B., 1672; Benedict
XIV, De Sacrificio Missae, Louvain, 1762; Gasparri, De
Eucharistia, Paris, 1897; Homiletic Review, New York,
September, 1904, p. 1097; de Berlendis, De Oblationibus
ad Altare, Venice, 1743; Noldin, S. J., Theologia Moralis,
1904; Genicot, S. J., Theologia Moralis, 1900; Ecclesiasti-
cal Review, August, 1904, February, 1909.
CHAPTER XVII.
WHERE MASS MAY BE CELEBRATED.
How is that place distinguished in which
Mass is allowed?
It is either Normal and Ordinary, or Extra-
ordinary. The Normal and Ordinary is the place
where the general law and usage of the Church
permit a Mass to be said.
How many such places are there?
Three:
(a) A consecrated or blessed church that has
not forfeited its consecration, or benediction, and
is not under interdict.
(6) A public or semi-public chapel or oratory.
(c) A domestic chapel by Papal permission. If
judged by a rigid standard, a domestic chapel does
not fall within the term ordinary place, and,
therefore, requires an Episcopal or Pontifical
license.
What is an extraordinary place?
A place outside a church or chapel, in which it
is unlawful to celebrate Mass unless by special
privilege, or from urgent necessity.
234 The Mass and Vestments
Was this distinction of place always in vogue
in the Church?
No. It began to exist only with the Council of
Trent.
What was the custom prior to that Council?
In the age of persecution, Mass was offered
anywhere, on portable altar or table. St. Dionysius
of Alexandria (265) with a suggestion of emotion
testifies:
"Every place — the field, the wilds, the ship, the
stable, the prison became a temple for the per-
formance of the Sacred Mysteries."
After the persecutions, the military camps,
private houses and the rooms of the sick and
dying, frequently and with moderate restraint,
witnessed the Holy Sacrifice. Priests in their
journeyings sacrificed in response to their personal
devotion. Masses in the homes of the sick and
dying became such an abuse that many bishops
in the ninth century supplanted them with the
Dry Mass. (vide p. 143).
Practically, the whole routine and regulation of
the Mass was in the control of the bishops. Not
only did they enjoy the privilege of a portable
altar; they had also the inherent right to confer
that privilege on others for adequate cause.
Jointly with the bishops, all Regulars, Domini-
cans, Franciscans, etc., shared the privilege of a
portable altar, which authorized them to say Mass
Where Celebrated 235
wherever they were, in any becoming place,
always, however, as the decree expresses it, "with-
out prejudice to any parochial right."
Relatively to the Bishops, what was the effect
of the Tridentine Legislation?
It deprived them qualifiedly of the power of
granting permission to say Mass in any place
external to churches and chapels, and, by conse-
quence, of the power of conferring the privilege
of a portable altar. Henceforth, the Holy See
reserves this right entirely to itself.
What is the significance of this "Qualified"
Deprivation?
It means, that although bishops have been
shorn of above prerogative so far as conceding a
right to say Mass in any extraordinary place, per-
petually, or for a very long time arbitrarily and at
their own option, they are yet competent to grant
such permission in special emergencies.
What are these Emergencies?
A ruined church, and a church outgrown by its
congregation; an outbreak of contagion or infec-
tion; in such crises as earthquakes and freshets;
on a journey, when tourists of a sufficient number
would otherwise be deprived of Mass; on shore or
at a port, for the convenience of travellers for a
similar reason; in military camps. In these in-
stances, the question of "necessity" is always
236 The Mass and Vestments
involved, and a question relative to the number of
participants, who must be more than one or a
few. It is generally accepted that on Sundays
and Holydays of obligation, a bishop's right is con-
clusive to allow a Mass. The same right does
not exist for a week-day Mass unless legitimized
by a serious necessity.
Must the celebrant in any of those instances
obtain the positive permission of the Bishop?
Some of the rubricians, like Reiffenstuel and
Quarti, require the episcopal consent only as a
matter of courtesy. Others, like St. Thomas, St.
Antonine, St. Alphonsus, Suarez, Gattico and
Cardinal Petra, teach that such consent is manda-
tory. This is the more probable opinion, to be
followed, except:
(a) Where a legitimate custom to the contrary
prevails.
(6) Where the case is so urgent as to preclude
the possibility of applying for a permission.
(c) When the place in question is subject to no
bishop.
May Mass be said on ship-board?
Yes, by the permission of an Apostolic Indult
only. Smooth seas and absence of commotion will
not alone permit a Mass. A decree of the Sacred
Congregation of Rites, March 4, 1904, decides that
a permission to say Mass cannot be issued by the
Where Celebrated 237
would-be celebrant's bishop, nor by the bishop
of the embarking port, nor is it contained in the
privilege of a portable altar. A legitimate and
demonstrable custom will, however, set up an
exemption.
By a decree, June 30, 1908, Pius X permits
bishops of North and South America, Oceania and
Australia whilst on a journey to and from Rome
to celebrate Mass daily on the sea, if the place of
celebration be decorous and the danger of spilling
the contents of the chalice eliminated, and as a
further precaution it is prescribed, if a priest is
available, he will assist the celebrant in cassock
and surplice.
What is the law of the Church regulating
Mass in Mortuary Chapels?
(a) A Mass is prohibited unless the space of a
full yard intervenes between the altar and the
nearest entombed body.
(b) The table of the altar therein must adhere
to solid supports and the altar itself fixed per-
manently in one place. (Decrees, January 12, 1899,
and June 19, 1908).
What is the so-called privilege of a Portable
Altar?
It is the privilege of offering the Holy Sacrifice
in any becoming place, except on ship-board. This
is not identical with the privilege of a private
chapel.
238 The Mass and Vestments
Who enjoy this privilege?
Cardinals, bishops, protonotaries participantes,
not protonotaries ad instar, nor protonotaries
titulares, or honorarii, and the auditors of the
Rota.
What is the Status oj Regulars in respect of
the Portable Altar?
The privilege of pre-Tridentine times was re-
voked and abrogated by the Council of Trent.
The Jesuits and the Mendicant Orders, subse-
quently, obtained a modified form of the privilege
in the region only of their pagan missions, fol-
lowed by the Dominicans in Poland, for localities
without churches, and in case of necessity.
Seculars and Religious in missionary countries,
akin to our condition here, are invested with a
restricted sort of portable altar on out-missions
bereft of churches or chapels. The faculty of the
Propaganda de Fide is granted to all legitimate
workers, "of celebrating Mass one hour before
sun-rise, and another after noon-tide, without a
server, et sub dio et sub terra, in the open and
under the earth, always, however, in a decent
place."
Bibliography: Martene, De Antiquis Eccles. Ritibus;
Gattico, De Usu Altaris portatilis; De Oratoriis Domesticis,
Romae, 1770; Mansi, Concilia; Reiffenstuel, De Celebratione
Missarum; S. Many, S. S., De Missa.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE NUMBER OF MASSES TO BE SAID EACH DAY.
Did the Custom ever exist oj saying many
Masses each day?
In the fifth and sixth centuries Mass was said
daily throughout the Christian world. In the
seventh century the custom generally prevailed of
sacrificing frequently each day.
Is there any notable example of this frequent
Celebration?
Pope Leo III (795-816) according to a con-
temporary, Walafrid Strabo, offered seven, nine
and more masses daily.
What was the origin oj this custom?
It began with the usage of certain churches in
Rome of honoring special feast-days, and having
the privilege of a mid-night Mass, like the Nativity,
on Holy Thursday, Easter and Pentecost, with two
or more solemn Masses. So great was the concourse
of worshippers that priests were permitted to
offer many private Masses on these days to
accommodate them, and by aquiescence, the cus-
tom spread of saying many Masses on ordinary
days.
240 The Mass and Vestments
Was there any restraint of this Custom?
The earliest existing restraint was that of a
decree of the twelfth Council of Toledo, Spain
(681) censuring those priests who offered daily
many Masses but consumed the Sacred Species
only in the last.
When was there a limitation 0/ the number
of daily Masses offered?
In England, under King Edgar (957) and in
Germany, the Council of Salegunstadt (1022)
issued decrees limiting the daily Masses to three
only.
By whom was the restriction imposed of one
Mass daily?
Egbert, the Archbishop of York, England (735-
771) for his arch-diocese was the first, and after
him, for the entire Church, Alexander II (1016-
1073), Innocent III (1198-1216) and Honorius
III (1216-1227).
What reason did Alexander II give for the
sufficiency oj one daily Mass?
Because Christ died but once and His death
was sufficient for the redemption of the world.
What was the Cause of the Prohibition oj
many daily Masses?
To remove all occasion and suspicion of avarice
from the sacred ministry, The acts and decrees
Number of Masses Each Day 241
of Councils in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries
are resonant with the note of correction as applied
to the cupidity of certain priests, fed and gorged
by a multiplicity of daily Masses.
By what terms is the law regulating daily
Masses now expressed?
Except on the Feast of the Nativity of Our
Lord, a priest will celebrate only one Mass daily,
unless authorized by necessity to say two Masses.
What constitutes a necessity justifying two
Masses?
According to the opinion of specialists and the
decisions of the Sacred Congregations the follow-
ing conditions are required:
(1) When a priest has the care of two parishes
so far apart either by actual distance, or by reason
of the hardship of the road, that all the people
cannot assemble in the same church, or when the
faithful of one parish are so scattered that they
cannot be convened together at the same time, or
when a congregation outnumbers the capacity of
the parish church, and if perchance, the church
is ample to accommodate all, the exigency of a
second Mass is allowed to exist if all cannot attend
at the same hour. It is not, however, allowed
those who wish to hear Mass in a private chapel,
although sometimes granted nuns of a strict
cloister.
242 The Mass and Vestments
(2) If there be no other priest who is com-
petent to offer an additional Mass required by the
people, that the precept of hearing Mass may be
discharged without excessive inconvenience.
(3) The extra Mass in question is confined to
a Sunday and a Holyday of obligation, when the
duty of hearing Mass is obligatory. In a few
instances it is also allowed on suppressed feasts
because of a long-standing custom.
What distance and how many people are
sufficient Jor a second Mass?
By a decree of January 12, 1847, a distance of
about one mile and the convenience of about
twenty persons are the standard legitimizing a
second Mass. Decisions are also extant declaring
under special circumstances, twelve people and
one-half mile sufficient, although the difficulty of
rendering a definite opinion has been admitted by
the Holy See.
Who is the authority to determine the exi-
gency of a second Mass?
It resides entirely in the Episcopal authority of
each diocese.
How is this privilege regulated in the United
States?
It must emanate from the bishop; it must be
renewed each year, and it must be considered as a
personal privilege attaching to the priest, and not
Number of Masses Each Day 243
to any special church, although in Belgium the
reverse obtains and the privilege is local, not
personal.
What is to be held regarding a custom mini-
mizing the necessity which alone can authorize
a second Mass?
The general law of the Church demands a
qualified necessity, and declares an indifference to,
or a neglect of this question of necessity an abuse
to be eliminated. In measuring the exigency,
however, it is sufficient if it be moral and practical
with due reference to existing conditions. The dis-
tracting and severe strain of modern industrial
and economic life in cities, and a recognized and
confessed laxity in the full observance of Church
laws mitigate more or less the severity of the
standard requirements, modify the necessity and
broaden the privilege of the priest to provide an
extra Mass for a people who might neglect it if
their convenience be not consulted.
Is a second Mass allowed to provide the
Viaticum for the Dying?
If a priest be fasting, a second Mass is allowed.
If his fast be broken, the nearly unanimous
authority of theologians is against a second Mass,
and yet Genicot, S. J. (p. 251) calls the opposite
opinion probable in the case of a priest who has
consumed the ablutions in his first Mass.
244 The Mass and Vestments
Is there any place where three Masses are
licit on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation?
By a decree of December 20, 1879, the arch-
bishop of Mexico was authorized to grant such
permission when necessary.
What are the exceptions to this General Law
of one daily Mass?
(1) The ancient custom of three Masses on
Christmas is still retained in the Western Church.
Regarding this custom, we observe:
(a) The right of a triple Mass is a privilege
not a duty.
(6) The same Mass cannot be repeated, which
also applies to priests who, because of some special
infirmity, are allowed to say every day a votive
Mass of the Blessed Virgin.
(c) A stipend may be accepted for each Mass
on Christmas, which is a deviation from the ordi-
nary discipline.
(d) The Eastern Church knows nothing of the
triple Christmas Mass. Rome has repeatedly re-
fused the privilege to those Orientals who have
accepted her primacy.
(2) In the old kingdom of Aragon, comprising
Roussilon or Perpignan in France, Catalonia and
Valentia in Spain, and the island of Majorca, a
very ancient privilege was enjoyed on All Souls of
three Masses by Regulars and two by the Secular
Number of Masses Each Day 245
clergy. By a brief, dated August 26, 1748,
Benedict XIV not only confirmed but enlarged it,
and made it applicable to Spain and Portugal and
all their colonies at that date in the Old and New
World. These include the so-called Latin countries
of South America, even those now emancipated
from Spanish and Portuguese dominion. This
supplementary concession gives license to both
Regular and Secular clergy to celebrate three
Masses on the Feast of All Souls. This privilege
is subject to the following restrictions:
(a) The Masses must be offered for all the
faithful departed.
(6) No stipend, direct, indirect or spontaneous
is legitimate for these Masses.
(c) The concession is restricted to resident
priests only.
(d) These Masses may continue until two hours
after noon.
(e) More recent decisions thus fix the order of
the Masses: The first is that of All Souls; the
second, as on an anniversary; the third, the missa
quotidiana or daily Mass. If only one is said, it
must be the first. If two, the first must be of
All Souls and the second is optional.
In all other places not comprised in this decree,
the celebration of more than one Mass on All Souls
is declared an abuse which must be corrected.
246 The Mass and Vestments
(3) The extraordinary privilege given the
archbishop of Mexico already noted.
(4) The intervention of a necessity based on a
paucity of priests, and the spiritual welfare of the
faithful, making licit in instances before explained
the celebration of two Masses on the same day.
Bibliography: S. Many, S. S., De Missa; Mansi, Concilia,
Vol. 18, Decreta Authentica; Benedict XIV, De Sacrificio
Missae, Louvain 1762; Gasparri, De Eucharistia.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE TIME OF CELEBRATING MASS.
§ 1— DAY.
On what days in the Primitive Church was
Mass offered?
In the beginning, Sunday or the Lord's day,
the first of the week, was the only liturgic day
when Mass was offered. Then came Wednesdays
and Fridays with their fast and stations and
sacrifice. Afterwards, the Eastern Church added
Saturdays to these, although down to the fifth
century, Rome and Alexandria forbade the Satur-
day Mass, because the Saturday before the first
Easter was a day of fast and seclusion for the
Apostles. By the fifth century the custom of
saying Mass daily had become universal.
What is the modern custom in the Latin
Church?
In the Latin rite, every day of the year is
liturgic or mass-day, except Good Friday, abso-
lutely, and Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday,
with restrictions. From these restrictions Holy
Thursday is more frequently exempt than Holy
Saturday.
248 The Mass and Vestments
What is the usage according to the Ambrosian
Rite of Milan?
For some time ante-dating the twelfth century
the custom has existed of prohibiting the cele-
bration of Mass on the Fridays of Lent, and also
of excluding all Saints' days from the same season.
St. Charles Borromeo did not originate this custom.
He merely approved and enforced it. By a decree
of February 23, 1897, the Holy See, in response
to a petition of the Milanese clergy now permits
a Mass in honor of St. Joseph, March 19, and of
the Annunciation, March 25, on their respective
days, and even when these festivals fall on Friday.
What is the accepted practice according to
the Oriental Rite?
Within the time of the Lenten fast Mass can be
said only on Saturdays and Sundays. On the re-
maining five days of each quadragesimal week, a
Mass of the Presanctified is alone permitted similar
to our Good Friday service, when there is only a
consumption of sacred Hosts consecrated on the
preceding Sunday. This custom began with the
Council of Laodicea (314) and is binding on all
Orientals in communion with the Church of Rome.
The patriarchal council of the Melchites (1835)
decreed it as lawful to accept a stipend for a Mass
of the Presanctified.
7s there any departure from this custom
among Orientals?
The Time of Celebrating Mass 249
There are two exceptions. The Maronites no
longer follow this ritual of the Eastern Church,
having supplanted it with the Roman usage of a
Mass of the Presanctified only on Good Friday,
and Benedict XIV indulged the Graeco-Italians to
the extent of allowing them the privilege of a full,
complete Mass on side-altars in parish churches,
but insisted that the Mass of the Presanctified must
be offered on the high altar on the days pre-
scribed.
§ 2— HOUR.
At what Hour was Mass Celebrated in the
early age of the Church?
In the era of persecutions, the dominant thought
was to celebrate the Mass at an hour when danger
of discovery, or intrusion by an enemy would be
reduced to a minimum. It was the age of the
martyrs, and religious life was conditioned by
pagan hostility. For this reason, Mass was
ordinarily celebrated either late into the night, or
very early in the morning. Hence Pliny's and
Tertullian's testimony of "Christians assembling
before the dawn."
With the return of peace, Mass was offered on
Sundays and non-fast days in the morning hours
before noon and usually u hora tertia" or 9 o'clock.
On fast days at the hour when the fast could be
broken, not before. The rationale of this practice
was to avoid the incongruity of celebrating a
250 The Mass and Vestments
mystery of joy and refreshment, typified in the
Mass, during a time of penance and sorrow.
Hence, in the Lenten season, Mass was not said
till the evening, and on other fast days the hour
of 3 p. m. was the liturgic hour.
Midnight Mass was the accepted custom at
Christmas, as it is now; the night of Easter,
immediately following Holy Saturday; Pentecost;
St. John the Baptist; the Sundays after the four
quatuor tenses, when Holy Orders were conferred
by decree of Pope Gelasius (492-496); on all great
vigils, such, for example, as the night preceding
every Sunday of the year.
This was the rule regulating public Masses.
Private Masses were permitted at any hour of the
day, before and after noon, evening and after
Compline. The night, however, was a prohibited
time. Even on fast days a private Mass was
allowed as early as 9 a. m. without a violation of
the fast, which led the Greeks to accuse the
Latins of trespassing on the fast.
In the time of St. Thomas Aquinas (1224, 1274)
the hour for the beginning of Mass was fixed at
the dawn, and just prior to the Council of Trent
(1545, 1564) the time limit for its finishing was
determined at mid-day.
What are the Rubrical Mass hours now?
The Missal thus enjoins: "A private Mass can
be said any hour between dawn and noon, Matins
The Time of Celebrating Mass 251
and Lauds prefacing." The Solemn or Conventual
Mass is subject to the same limitation with the
canonical hour of Tierce preceding.
What is the meaning of Dawn?
Dawn or Aurora is the interval between the
first appearance of light and sun-rise, as twilight
or evening is the cleavage between sun-set and
night.
When does the Light of Dawn begin to ap-
pear?
When the sun in its ascension is below the
horizon eighteen degrees. Twilight endures until
the sun, going down, exceeds eighteen degrees
below the horizon.
Is the Dawn uniform?
By no means. Its coming and duration vary
with latitude, and places in the same latitude will
change with the season. There are localities be-
yond the fiftieth degree of latitude where, for
weeks and months, the dawn either synchronizes
with mid-night, or is abnormally delayed. To
illustrate: in Belgium, from May 26 to July 19,
the aurora or dawn-light shines through the entire
night, and in mid-winter does not appear until
long after its appearance in lower latitudes. In
the first instance, Mass may begin at mid-night,
and in the second, at 5 a.m., although this hour
may ante-date the dawn by two hours or more.
252 The Mass and Vestments
As a practical regulation is not this determi-
nation of the Dawn a bit of guess-work?
It is scientifically established by astronomers,
and many diocesan directories publish their find-
ings for the guidance of priests in the celebration
of Mass and the recitation of the Divine Office.
In practice what is the exact meaning oj
these restrictive Mass hours?
The meaning is, according to Wapelhorst and
the theologians, that the time being computed
morally, Mass is not to be finished before the
dawn, nor begun after the noon hour.
Is there any margin oj time jixed by author-
ity in excess of these hours?
By decree of Benedict XIII, December 20, 1724,
permission was granted for the city of Rome to
begin the celebration of Mass twenty minutes
before the dawn, and the same time after noon.
This privilege was afterwards extended to the
dioceses of the Roman province, and now by cus-
tom and the opinion of experts is interpreted as
belonging to the whole Church.
At what Hour is Mass alloived in the Arctic
Regions?
In the summer season, in places adjacent to the
Poles, the unsetting sun remains for weeks and
months above the horizon and furnishes an un-
ending day. Within that period, Mass may begin
The Time of Celebrating Mass 253
at the minute which corresponds with mid-night
and at any subsequent time for twelve hours, or
until noon. It cannot begin, however, before mid-
night because it would trespass on a preceding
day. The noon hour is determined by the transit of
the sun across the local meridian, with the addition
or subtraction of time equation to get the average
or medium time, and mid-night will fall twelve
hours after such reckoning.
In the winter season of the same region there
is perpetual night for months, with or without a
dawn, dependent on the fact whether the sun is
eighteen degrees or more below the horizon. Mid-
day may then be determined either by the efful-
gence of the dawn, or better, by the observation
of the stars. This determined, the other hours
may be fixed. The perplexing difficulty, however,
is that there is no sunrise nor aurora to usher in
a new day. To solve this puzzle, the Sacred
Congregation of Rites, by a decision, November
2, 1634, thus instructed: "In those regions lack-
ing an aurora or dawn, the morning hour is to be
reckoned morally, as at the beginning of the civil
or ordinary day, when men rise for their accustomed
occupations according to the accepted custom of
these regions."
How many approved Methods of Computing
Time exist?
Four: By the sun which gives a variable solar
time; by a time equation which gives a medium
254 The Mass and Vestments
time; by law which gives a legal time; and by an
hour zone which gives a zonary time.
Does the Church require an Observance of
any one of these Methods to the Exclusion of
the others?
For the celebration of Mass, the recitation of
the Divine Office and the regulation of fasts, the
Church permits entire freedom in the selection of
any one of these methods.
Is this regulation and definition of Liturgic
Mass hours the appointment of a Divine or an
Ecclesiastical Law?
It is exclusively the result of an ecclesiastical
law, and therefore admits of exception under
Church authoritv.
Has the Church established any exception to
the general law requiring Mass to be said be-
tween Dawn and Mid-day?
The Church allows the following exceptions:
(1) A Conventual or Solemn High Mass at mid-
night on the feast of the Nativity. This privilege
does not include a private or Low Mass at the
same hour, and if such be said, it is declared an
abuse and bishops are enjoined to be vigilant for
its elimination. Many religious communities,
however, are privileged to have a Low Mass in
their chapels at mid-night of Christmas. More
The Time of Celebrating Mass 255
recent legislation thus fixes the status of this mid-
night Mass:
By a decree of the Sacred Congregation of the
Holy Office, dated August 1, 1907, his Holiness
Pius X, "in order to encourage the piety of the
faithful, and to excite in them feelings of grati-
tude on account of the ineffable mystery of the
Incarnation of the Divine Word," grants that in
each and every enclosed convent of nuns, and in
other religious institutes, pious houses, and clerical
seminaries, possessing a public or private oratory
with the right of permanently reserving the
Blessed Sacrament, the privilege shall be enjoyed
yearly, henceforth and forever, of celebrating
three Masses (or, if more convenient, one Mass
only) during the night of the Nativity of Our
Lord, and of giving Holy Communion to all who
devoutly wish it. Moreover, his Holiness declares
that the devout hearing of this Mass (or these
Masses) shall count for all present as a fulfillment
of the obligation of hearing Mass according to the
law of the Church.
(2) Cardinals, bishops and protonotaries partici-
pantes are allowed to say Mass a full hour before
and after the legitimate time limit.
(3) Missionary priests in the place of their
missions, and secular priests in missionary
countries, such as the United States, have the
same lee-way of an extra hour, which means that
256 The Mass and Vestments
Mass may be begun one hour before the dawn, or
at any time before 1 p. m., although it is not con-
cluded till after 1 o'clock.
(4) Special churches by extraordinary Papal
permission, like Sc.n Jeronymo, the Royal, in
Madrid (Spain) where the Spanish kings are
crowned, may have Mass not later than 2 p. m. on
Sundays and Holydays, and St. Andrews of New
York City at 3 a. m.
(5) Although the theologians, notably Ballerini
and Noldin, dispute whether the Council of Trent
withdrew the privilege given the Regulars of the
Mendicant Orders in pre-Tridentine times of cele-
brating Mass two hours after mid-night and mid-
day, the decree of the Council (Session XXII) and
the Bull of Clement XI, December 15, 1703, seem
to give a verdict against the Regulars. St.
Liguori (No. 342) affirms and again (De Privilegiis,
no. 122) holds the opinion as doubtful. The ques-
tion, however, is invested with only an academic
interest and has little practical value, because
many leading theologians, like De Lugo, Aversa,
Dicastillo and Narbona contend, that the privilege
granted the Regulars by Pope Eugene IV (1431-
1447) of saying Mass three hours after noon is
still unrevoked, and Gregory XIII, by Bull of May
9, 1578, allows by special favor the Jesuits
to say Mass one hour before the dawn and the
same after noon, if they are prevented by some
The Time of Celebrating Mass 257
legitimate impediment from celebrating Mass at
the proper time, and providing further that they
obtain the permission of their General or his
representative, and Pius "VI, by decree of January
14, 1783, granted the Congregation of Purity the
privilege of celebrating two hours before the dawn
and after the noon time. By an old accepted
axiom of "communication of privileges" all Regulars
may legitimately avail themselves of these dispen-
sations.
(6) In this law determining Mass hours,
bishops may for special reasons dispense either
individual priests for life, or particular churches
and chapels in perpetuity. They cannot, however,
apply the dispensation to an entire diocese in per-
petuum.
(7) Whilst it is true that no usage can contra-
vene the rubrics of the Missal, it is also true that
this particular rubric prescribing the liturgic time
does not bind by a positive, or permanent insis-
tence. Therefore, a custom clothed with the
requisite conditions at variance with it may be
followed.
(8) As every Church law is constructive rather
than destructive of piety, there may happen con-
tingencies of the graver sort, as for example, the
needs of a large part of a congregation to hear
Mass or a sermon, the conferring of Sacred Orders,
the Consecration of a Host to be given the dying
258 The Mass and Vestments
as a Viaticum, or a priest delayed on his journey
beyond the proper hour, when the hearing of
Mass is de praecepto, in which instances Mass
may precede or follow the ordered time by a
greater or less interval.
Bibliography: Migne, Vol. VI; Duchesne, Origines du
culte chretien; Bruns, Concilia; Cavalieri, Opera Liturgica,
1764; Flammarion, Popular Astronomy; Genicot, S. J.
Theologia Moralis; De Herdt, Sacrae Liturgiae Praxis;
Decreta Authentica; Martene, De Antiquis Eccles. Ritibus;
St. Alphonsus de Liguori, Theologia Moralis; S. Many, S. S,
De Missa.
CHAPTER XX.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE MASS.
The Asperges.
Antiphona. Asperges me,
Domine, hyssopo, et mun-
dabor : lavabis me, et super
nivem dealbabor.
Psalmus. Miserere mei,
Deus, secundum magnam
misericordiam tuam.
V. Gloria Patri, etc.
Antiphona. Asperges
me.
At hem. Thou shalt
<sprinkle me with hyssop,
O Lord, and I shall be
cleansed: Thou shalt wash
me, and I shall be made
whiter than snow.
Psalm. Have mercy on
me, O God, according to
Thy great mercy.
V. Glory be, etc.
Anthem. Thou shalt
sprinkle me.
The Priest, being returned to the foot of the Altar,
says:
V. Ostende nobis, V. Show us, O Lord,
Domine, misericordiam tu- Thy mercy,
am.
R. Et salutare tuum da R. And grant us thy
nobis. salvation.
V. Domine, exaudi ora- V. O Lord, hear my
tionem meam, prayer,
R. Et clamor meus ad R. And let my cry come
te veniat. unto thee.
V. Dominus vobiscum. V. The Lord be with
you.
R. Et cum spiritu tua. R. And with thy spirit
260
The Mass and Vestments
Or emus.
Exaudi nos, Domine
sancte. Pater Omnipotens,
seterne Deus : et mittere
digneris sanctum angelum
tuum de coelis, qui custodi-
at, foveat, protegat, visitet,
atque defendat omnes hab-
itantes in hoc habitaculo.
Per Christum Dominum
nostrum. Amen.
From Easter to Whitsunday inclusively, instead of the foregoing
Anthem, the following is sung, and Alleluia is added to the
V. (Ostende nobis), and also to its R. (Et salutare).
Let us pray.
Hear us, O holy Lord,
almighty Father, eternal
God : and vouchsafe to
send thy holy angel from
heaven, to guard, cherish,
protect, visit, and defend
all that are assembled in
this house. Through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Antiphona, Vidi aquam
egredientem de templo a
latere dextro, Alleluia: et
omnes ad quos pervenit
aqua ista salvi facti sunt,
et dicent, Alleluia.
Psalmus. Confitemini
Domino, quoniam bonus :
quoniam in sseculum miser-
icordia ejus. Gloria, etc.
Anthem. I saw water
flowing from the right side
of the temple, Alleluia:
and all to whom that water
came were saved, and they
shall say, Alleluia.
Psalm. Praise the Lord,
for he is good : for his
mercy endureth forever.
Glorv. etc.
Ordinary of the Mass.
The Priest begins at the foot of the Altar.
In nomine Patris, et
Filii. et Spiritus Sancti.
Amen.
S. Introibo ad altare
Dei.
M. Ad Deum, qui lseti-
ficat juventutem meam.
Psalmus xlii.
In the name of the
Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
P. I will go unto the
altar of God.
A. To God, who giveth
joy to my youth.
Psalm xlii.
Omitted in Masses for the Dead.
The Structure of the Mass
261
S. Judica me, Deus, et
discerne causam meam de
Sfente non sancta : ab homi-
ne iniquo et doloso erue
me.
M. Quia hi es, Deus,
fortitudo mea. quare me
repulisti ? et quare tristis
ineedo dum affligit me ini-
micus. ?
S. Emitte lucem tuam
et veritatem tuam : ipsa
me deduxerunt et adduxe-
runt in montem sanctum
tuum. et in tabernacula tua.
M. Et introibo ad altare
Dei : ad Deum, qui lsetificat
juventutem meam.
S. Confitebor tibi in
cithara Deus, Deus me-
ns: quare tristis es, anima
mea? et quare eonturbas
me?
M. Spera in Deo. quon-
iam adhuc confitebor illi
salutare vultus mei, et
Deus mens.
S. Gloria Patri, et Filio,
et Spiritui Sancto.
M. Sicut erat in prin-
cipio, et nunc, et semper,
et in specula sseculorum.
Amen.
S.
Dei.
Introibo ad Altare
P. Judge: me, O God,
and distinguish my cause
from the nation that is not
holy : deliver me from the
unjust and deceitful man.
A. For thou, O God,
art my strength, why hast
thou cast me off ? and why
do I go sorrowful whilst
the enemy afflicteth me?
P. Send forth thy light
and thy truth: they have
conducted me and brought
me unto thy holy mount,
and into thy tabernacles.
A. And I will go unto
the altar of God : to God,
who giveth joy to my
youth.
P. I will praise thee on
the harp, O God, my God :
why art thou sorrowful, O
mv soul? and why dost
thou disquiet me?
A. Hope in God, for I
will still give praise to him :
who is the salvation of my
countenance, and my God.
P. Glory be to the
Father, and to the Son, and
to the Holy Ghost.
A. As it was in the be-
ginning, is now, and ever
shall be, world without
end. Amen.
P. I will go unto the
altar of God.
262
The Mass and Vestments
M. Ad Deum, qui laeti-
ficat juventutem meam.
S. Adjutorium nostrum
in nomine Domini,
M. Qui fecit coelum et
terram.
A. To God, who giveth
joy to my youth.
P. Our help is in the
name of the Lord.
A. Who hath made
heaven and earth.
Then, joining his hands and humbly bozving
dozvit, he says the Confession.
S. Confiteor Deo om- P. I confess to Al-
nipotenti, etc. mighty God, etc.
M. Misereatur tui om- A. May Almighty God
nipotens Deus, et dimissis have mercy upon thee, for-
peccatis tuis, perducat te give thee thy sins, and
ad vitam aeternam. brine thee to life everlast-
ing.
S. Amen.
M. Confiteor Deo omni-
potent!, beatae Mariae sem-
per Virgini, beato Michaeli
Archangelo, beato Joanni
Baptistae, Sanctis Apostolis
Petro et Paulo, omnibus
Sanctis, et tibi pater, quia
peccavi nimis cogitatione,
verbo, et opere, mea culpa,
mea culpa, mea maxima
culpa. Ideo precor beatam
Mariam semper Virginem,
hieatum M'ichaelem Ar-
changelum, beatum Joan-
nem Baptistam, sanctos
Apostolos Petrum et Paul-
um, omnes Sanctos, et te,
pater, orare pro me ad
Dominum Deum nostrum.
P. Amen.
A. I confess to Al-
mighty God, to blessed
Mary ever Virgin, to
blessed Michael the Arch-
angel, to blessed John Bap-
tist, to the holy Apostles
Peter and Paul, to all the
Saints, and to you, father,
that I have sinned exceed-
ingly in thought, word, and
deed [here strike the breast
thrice], through my fault,
through my fault, through
my most grievous fault.
Therefore I beseech blessed
Mary ever Virgin, blessed
Michael the Archangel,
blessed John Baptist, the
holy Apostles, Peter and
Paul, and all the Saints,
and you, father, to pray to
the Lord our God for me.
The Structure of the Mass 263
Then the Priest, ivith his hands joined, gives
the Absolution, saying:
S. MisbrEatur vestri P. May Almighty God
omnipotens Deus, et di- have mercy upon you, for-
missis peccatis vestris, per- give you your sins, and
ducat vos ad vitam aeter- bring you to life everlast-
nam. ing.
M. Amen. A. Amen.
Signing himself with the sign of the Cross, he says:
S. Indulgentiam, ab- P. May the almighty
solutionem. et remissionem and merciful Lord grant
peccatorum nostrorum trib- us pardon, absolution and
uat nobis omnipotens et remission of our sins,
misericors Dominus.
M. Amen. A. Amen.
Then, bozmng down, he proceeds:
S. Deus, tu conversus P. Thou wilt turn
vivificabis nos. again, O God, and quicken
us.
M. Et plebs tua laetabi- A. And thy people shall
tur in te. rejoice in thee.
S. Ostende nobis, Dom- P. Show us, O Lord,
ine, misericordiam tuam. thy mercy.
M. Et salutare tuum da A. And grant us thy
nobis. salvation.
S. Domine, exaudi ora- P. O Lord, hear my
tionem meam. prayer.
M. Et clamor meus ad A. And let my cry come
te veniat. unto thee.
S. Dominus vobiscum. P. The Lord be with
you.
M. Et cum spiritu tuo. A. And with thy spirit.
264
The Mass and Vestments
Ascending to the Altar, he says secretly:
AuFER a nobis, quaesum-
us, Domine, iniquitates
nostras : ut ad Sancta
sanctorum puris mereamur
mentibus introire. Per
Christum Dominum nos-
trum. Amen.
Take away from us our
iniquities, we beseech thee,
O Lord : that we may be
worthy to enter with pure
minds into the holy of
holies. Through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Bozving dozen over the Altar, he says:
Oramus te, Domine, per
merita sanctorum tuorum
quorum reliquiae hie sunt,
et omnium sanctorum, ut
indulgere digneris omnia
peccata mea. Amen.
We beseech thee. O
Lord, by the merits of thy
saints whose relics are here,
and of all the saints, that
thou wouldst vouchsafe to
forgive me all my sins.
Amen.
[At High Mass the Altar is here incensed.] Then the Priest,
signing himself with the sign of the Cross, reads the Introit.
The Kyrie Eleison is then said:
S. Kyrie eleison (three P. Lord, have
times).
M. Christe eleison
(three times).
S. Kyrie eleison (three
times).
mercy
upon us.
A. Christ, have mercy
upon us.
P. Lord, have mercy
upon us.
Afterward, standing at the middle of the Altar, extending, and
then joining his hands, he says the Gloria in excelsis, except
during Lent and Advent, and in Masses for the Dead.
Gloria in excelsis Deo :
et in terra pax hominibus
bonae voluntatis. Lauda-
mus te : benedicimus te :
adoramus te: glorificamus
te. Gratias agimus tibi
propter magnam gloriam
tuam, Domine Deus. Rex
Glory be to God on high,
and on earth peace to men
of good will. We praise
thee : we bless thee : we
adore thee : we glorify thee.
We give thee thanks for
thy great glory, O Lord
God, heavenly King, God
The Structure of the Mass
265
coelestis, Deus pater omni-
potens. Domine Fili uni-
genite Jesu Christe : Dom-
ine Deus, Agnus Dei, Fili-
us Patris, qui tollis pec-
cata mundi, miserere nobis :
qui tollis peccata mundi,
suscipe deprecationem nos-
tram : qui sedes ad dexter-
am Patris, miserere nobis.
Ouoniam tu solus sanctus :
tu solus Dominus : tu solus
altissimus, Jesu Christe,
cum Sancto Spiritu, in
gloria Dei Patris. Amen.
the Father Almighty. O
Lord Jesus Christ, the
only.begotten Son : O Lord
God, Lamb of God, Son of
the Father, who takest
away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us : thou
who takest away the sins
of the world, receive our
prayers : thou who sittest
at the right hand of the
Father have mercy on us.
For thou only art holy:
thou only art the Lord :
thou only, O Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Ghost, art
most high in the glory of
God the Father. Amen.
The Priest kisses the Altar, and turning to
the people, says:
S. Dominus vobiscum. P. The Lord be with
you.
M. Et cum spiritu tuo. A. And with thy spirit.
Then follow the Collects, which may be found in the Mis-
sal, or the following may be used instead:
Defend us, O Lord, we beseech thee, from all dangers
of soul and body ; and by the intercession of the glorious
and blessed Mary ever Virgin, Mother of God, the blessed
apostles Peter and Paul, the blessed N. and all thy Saints,
grant us, in thy mercy, health and peace ; that all adver-
sities and errors being done away, thy Church may serve
thee with a pure and undisturbed devotion. Through, etc.
O almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit
the whole body of the Church is sanctified and governed ;
hear our humble supplications for all degrees and orders
thereof, that, by the assistance of thy grace, they may
faithfully serve thee. Through our Lord Jesus Christ
266
The Mass and Vestments
thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity
of the same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.
Amen.
Then is read the Epistle, or the following may be read in-
stead:
Rejoice in the Lord always : and again I say, Rejoice.
Let your modesty be known to all men : the Lord is nigh.
Be not solicitous about anything; but in everything, by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your peti-
tions be made known to God. And the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus. For the rest, brethren, whatso-
ever things are true, whatsoever things are modest, what-
soever things are just, whatsoever things are holy, what-
soever things are amiable, whatsoever things are of good
repute, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise of
discipline, think on these things. The things which you
have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in
me, these do ye ; and the God of peace shall be with you.
Deo gratias.
After which:
Thanks be to God.
Then the Gradual, Tract, Alleluia, or Sequence.
For the Sequence in Masses for the Dead,
Dies Ira.
Before the Gospel.
Munda cor meum ac
labia mea, omnipotens
Deus, qui labia Isaise pro-
phetae calculo mundasti ig-
nito : ita me tua grata mise-
ratione dignare mundare,
ut sanctum Evangelium
tuum digne valeam nun-
tiare. Per Christum Dom-
inum nostrum. Amen.
Cleanse my heart and
my lips, O Almighty God,
who didst cleanse the lips
of the prophet Isaiah with
a burning coal : and vouch-
safe, through thy gracious
mercy, so to purify me, that
I may worthily proclaim
rhv holv Gospel. Through
Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Structure of the Mass
267
Dominus sit in corde tuo
et in labiis tuis, ut dig-
ne et competenter annun-
ties Evangelium suum : in
nomine Patris, et Filii, et
Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
V. Dominus vobiscum.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo.
V. Sequentia ( Vel initi-
um) sancti Evangelii se-
cundum N.
R. Gloria tibi, Domine.
The Lord be in thy heart
and on thy lips, that thou
mayest worthily, and in a
becoming manner, an-
nounce his holy Gospel : in
the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. Amen.
V. The Lord be with
you.
R. And with thy spirit.
V. The continuation
{or beginning) of the holy
Gospel according to N.
R. Glory be to thee, O
Lord.
Tiicu is read the Gospel, or the following may
be used instead:
If y£ love me, keep my commandments. And I will
ask the Father, and he shall give you another Paraclete,
that he may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
nor knoweth him : but you shall know him, because he
shall abide with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave
you orphans : I will come to you. Yet a little while, and
the world seeth me no more. But ye see me, because I
live, and you shall live. In that day ye shall know that I
am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. He that
bath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that
loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved by my
Father: and I will love him, and will manifest myself to
him.
R. Laus tibi, Christe.
Per evangelica dicta de-
Icantur nostra delicta.
R. Praise be to Thee,
O Christ.
By the words of the Gos-
pel may our sins be blotted
out.
268
The Mass and Vestments
Nicene Creed.
"Omitted in Masses for the Dead.
Credo in unum Deum,
Patrem omnipotentem, Fac-
torem cceli et terrae, visibil-
ium omnium et invisibil-
ium.
Et in unum Dominum
Jesum Christum, Filium
Dei unigenitum, et ex
Patre natum ante omnia
saecula. Deum de Deo :
Lumen de Lumine: Deum
verum de Deo vero: geni-
tum non factum : consub-
stantialem Patri, per quern
omnia facta sunt. Qui
propter nos homines, et
propter nostram salutem.
descendit de coelis, et incar-
natus est de Spiritu Sancto,
ex Maria Virgine : ET hom-
o factus EST. [Hie genu-
flectitur. ] Crucifixus eti -
am pro nobis sub Pontio
Pilato passus et sepultus
est. Et resurrexit tertia
die secundum Scripturas :
et ascendit in coelum, sedet
ad dexteram Patris : et
iterum venturus est cum
gloria judicare vivos et
mortuos : cujus regni non
erit finis.
Et in Spiritum Sanctum
Dominum et vivificantem.
qui ex Patre Filioque pro-
I BEUEVE in one God,
the Father Almighty, Mak-
er of heaven and earth, and
of all things visible and in-
visible.
And in one Lord Jesus
Christ, the only-begotten
Son of God, born of the
Father before all ages. God
of God: Light of Light:
true God of true God : be-
gotten not made : consub-
stantial with the Father, by
whom all things were
made. Who for us men,
and for our salvation, came
down from heaven, and
was incarnate by the Holy
Ghost of the Virgin Mary :
AND WAS MADE MAN.
[Here the people kneel
down.'] He was crucified
also for us, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, and was
buried. The third day he
rose again according to the
Scriptures : and ascended
into heaven, and sitteth at
the right hand of the
Father: and he shall come
again with glory to judge
both the living and the
dead : of his kingdom there
shall be no end.
And I believe in the
Holy Ghost, the Lord and
life-giver, who proceedeth
The Structure of the Mass
269
from the Father and the
Son : who together with the
Father and the Son is
adored and glorified : who
spake by the prophets. And
one holy Catholic and
Apostolic Church. I con-
fess one baptism for the
remission of sins. And I
look for the resurrection of
the dead, and the life of the
world to come. Amen.
V. The Lord be with
you.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo. R. And with thy spirit.
Then he reads the Offertory, and taking the
paten with the Host, says:
cedit : qui cum Patre et
Filio simul adoratur et con-
glorificatur : qui locutus est
per prophetas. Et unam
sanctam Catholicam et
Apostolicam Ecclesiam.
Confiteor unum baptisma
in remissionem peccatorum.
Et exspecto resurrectionem
mortuorum, et vitam ven-
turi saeculi. Amen.
«
V. Dominus vobiscum.
Suscipe, sancte Pater,
omnipotens, asterne Deus,
hanc immaculatam Hosti-
am, quam ego indignus
famulus tuus offero tibi,
Deo meo vivo et vero, pro
innumerabilibus peccatis, et
offensionibus, et negli-
gentiis meis, et pro omni-
bus circumstantibus : sed
et pro omnibus fidelibus
Christianis, vivis atque de-
functis : ut mihi et illis pro-
ficiat ad salutem in vitam
?eternam. Amen.
Accept, O holy Father,
almighty, eternal God, this
immaculate Host, which I,
thy unworthy servant, of-
fer unto thee, my living
and true God. for my in-
numerable sins, offences,
and negligences, and for
nil here present, as also for
all faithful Christians, both
living and dead, that it may
be profitable for my own
and for their salvation un-
to life eternal. Amen.
Pouring untie and water into the chalice, he says:
O God, who, in creating
human nature, didst won-
derfully dignify it, and
bast still more wonderfully
Dkus, qui humanse sub-
stantia 3 dignitatem mirabi-
liter eondidisti. et mirabil-
itis reformasti : da nobis
270
The Mass and Vestments
per hujus aquae et vini
mysterium, ejus Divinita-
tis esse consortes, qui hu-
manitatis nostras fieri dig-
natus est particeps, Jesus
Christus, Filius tuus,
Dominus noster: qui tecum
vivit et regnat in unitate
Spiritus Sancti Dens, per
omnia saecula saeculorum.
Amen.
renewed it : grant that, by
the mystery of this water
and wine, we may be made
partakers of his Divinity
who vouchsafed to become
partaker of our humanity,
Jesus Christ, thy Son, our
Lord : who liveth and
reigneth with thee in the
unity of, etc.
Offering up the chalice, he says
Offerimus tibi, Dom
ine, calicem salutaris, tu-
am deprecantes clementi-
am, ut in conspectu divinae
Majestatis tuae, pro nostra
et totius mundi salute cum
odore suavitatis ascendat.
Amen.
We offer unto thee, O
Lord, the chalice of salva-
tion, beseeching thy clem-
ency, that, in the sight of
thy divine Majesty, it may
ascend with the odor of
sweetness, for our salva-
tion, and for that of the
whole world. Amen.
Bowing dozvn, he says:
In spiritu humilitatis, et
in animo contrito, suscipia-
mur a te, Domine, et sic
fiat sacrificium nostrum in
conspectu tuo hodie, ut
placeat tibi, Domine Deus.
In a spirit of humility,
and with a contrite heart,
let us be received by thee,
O Lord : and grant that the
sacrifice we offer in thy
sight this day may be
pleasing to thee, O Lord
God.
Elevating his eyes and stretching out his hands, he says:
Veni, sanctificator, om- Come. O sanctifier, al-
nipotens aeterne Deus, et mighty, eternal - God, and
benedic hoc sacrificium, tuo bless this sacrifice, prepar-
^ancto nomini praeparatum. H to thy hoh- name.
The Structure of the Mass
271
At High Mass, he blesses the incense:
Per intercessionem beati
Michaelis archangeli, stan-
ds a dextris altaris incensi,
et omnium electorum suor-
um, incensum istud dig-
netur Dominns benedicere,
et in odorem suavitatis ac-
cipere. Per Christum
Dominum nostrum. Amen.
May the Lord, by the in-
tercession of blessed Mi-
chael the archangel, stand-
ing at the right hand of the
altar of incense, and of all
his elect, vouchsafe to bless
this incense, and receive it
as an odor of sweetness.
Throught. etc. Amen.
He incenses the bread and wine, saying:
May this incense which
thou hast blessed, O Lord,
ascend to thee, and may thy
mercy descend upon us.
Incensum istud a te
benedictum ascendat ad te,
Domine, et descendat sup-
er nos misericordia tua.
Then he incenses the Altar, saying:
DiRiGATUR, Domine, or-
atio mea sicut incensum in
conspectu tuo : elevatio
manuum mearum sacrifici-
um vespertinum. Pone,
Domine, custodiam ori
meo, et ostium eircumstan-
tise labiis meis, ut non de-
clinet cor meum in verba
malitise, ad excusandas ex-
cusationes in peccatis.
Let my prayer, O Lord,
ascend like incense in thy
sight : and the lifting up of
my hands be as an evening
sacrifice. Set a watch, O
Lord, before my mouth,
and a door round about my
lips, that my heart may not
incline to evil words, to
make excuses in sins.
Giving the censer to the Deacon, he says:
AccendaT in nobis Dom-
inns ignem sui amoris, et
flammam seternje caritatis.
Amen.
May the Lord enkindle
in us the fire of his love,
and the flame of everlast-
ing charity. Amen.
Washing his fingers, he recites the folloiving:
Lavabo inter innocentes T will wash my hands
manus meas : et circumda- among the innocent : and
272
The Mass and Vestments
bo altare tuum, Domine.
Ut audiam vocem laudis :
et enarrem universa mira-
bilia tua. Domine, dilexi
decorem domus tuse, et lo-
cum habitationis gloriae
tuae. Ne perdas cum im-
piis, Deus, animam meam :
et cum viris sanguinum
vitam meam. In quorum
manibus iniquitates sunt :
dextera eorum repleta est
muneribus. Ego autem in
innocentia mea ingressus
sum : redime me, et miser-
ere mei. Pes meus stetit in
director in ecclesiis bene-
dicam te, Domine. Gloria,
etc.
will encompass thy altar, O
Lord. That I may hear the
voice of praise, and tell of
all thy marvelous works.
I have loved, O Lord, the
beauty of thy house, and
the place where thy glory
dwelleth. Take not away
my soul, O God, with the
wicked, nor my life with
bloody men. In whose
hands are iniquities : their
right hand is filled with
gifts. As for me, I have
walked in my innocence:
redeem me, and have
mercy upon me. My foot
hath stood in the right:
path : in the churches I
will bless thee, O Lord.
Glorv, etc.
Bowing before the Altar, he says:
SuscipE, sancta Trinitas,
hanc oblationem quam tibi
offerimus ob memoriam
Passionis, Resurrectionis,
et Ascensionis Jesu Christi
Domini nostri : et in honor-
em beatse Marige semper
Virginis, et beati Joannis
Baptists, et sanctorum
Apostolorum Petri et Pauli.
et istorum et omnium Sanc-
torum: ut illis proficiat ad
honorem, nobis autem ad
salutem : et illi pro nobis
intercedere dignentur in
ccelis, quorum memoriam
agimus in terris. Per eun-
dem, etc.
Receive, O Holy Trin-
ity, this oblation, which we
make to thee in memory of
the Passion, Resurrection,
and Ascension of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and in honor
of the blessed Mary ever
Virgin, of blessed John
Baptist, of the holy Apos-
tles Peter and Paul, of
these and of all the Saints :
that it may be available to
their honor and our salva-
tion : and may they vouch-
safe to intercede for us in
heaven, whose memorv
we celebrate on earth.
Through, etc.
The Structure of the Mass
273
Turning to the people, he says:
Orate;, fratres, ut me-
um ac vestrum sacrificium
acceptabile fiat apud Denm
Patrem omnipotentem.
R. Snscipiat Dominus
sacrificium de manibus tuis,
ad landem et gloriam nom-
inis sui. ad utilitatem quo-
qye nostram totiusque Ec-
clesiae sure sanctre.
He then recites th
Which being finished, he
V. Pkr omnia specula
saeculorum.
R. Amen.
V. Dominus vobiscum.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo.
V. Sursum corda.
R. Habemus ad Domi-
num.
V. Gratias agamus Dom-
ino Deo nostro.
R. Dignum et justum
est.
Vere dignum et justum
est, a?quum et salutare, nos
tibi semper et ubique grati-
as agere, Domine sancte.
Deus : per Christum Dom-
inum nostrum. Per quern
inum nostrum : per quern
Majestatem tuam laudant
angeli, adorant domina-
tiones. tremunt potestates,
Brethren, pray that my
sacrifice and yours may be
acceptable to God the
Father almighty.
R. May the Lord re-
ceive the sacrifice from thy
hands, to the praise and
glory of his name, to our
benefit, and to that of his
holy Church.
c Secret Prayers.
says, in an audible voice:
V. World without end.
R. Amen.
V. The Lord be with
thee.
R. And with thy spirit.
V. Lift up your hearts.
R. We have them lifted
up unto the Lord.
V. Let us give thanks
to the Lord our God.
R. It is meet and just.
Tt is truly meet and just,
right and salutary, that we
should always, and in all
places, give thanks to
thee. O holy Lord, Father
almighty, eternal God.
Through Christ our Lord :
through whom the angels
praise thy Majesty, the
dominations adore. the
274
The Mass and Vestments
coeli coelorumque virtutes,
ac beata Seraphim, socia
exultatione concelebrant.
Cum quibus et nostras vo-
ces, ut admitti jubeas de-
precamur, supplici confes-
sione dicentes : Sanctus,
sanctus, sanctus, Dominus
Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt
cceli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis. Ben-
edictus qui venit in nomine
Domini. Hosanna in ex-
celsis.
powers do hold in awe, the
heavens, and the virtues of
the heavens, and the blessed
Seraphim, do celebrate with
united joy. In union with
whom, we beseech thee that
thou wouldst command our
voices also to be admitted
with suppliant confession,
saying: Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God of Sabaoth,
Heaven and earth are full
of thy glory. Hosanna in
the highest. Blessed is he
that cometh in the name of
the Lord, Hosanna in the
highest.
Canon of the Mass.
Te igitur, clementissime
Pater, per Jesum Christum
Filium tuum Dominum
nostrum, supplices roga-
mus ac petimus, uti accepta
habeas et benedicas, hsec
dona, haec munera, haec
sancta sacrificia illibata,
in primis, quae tibi offeri-
mtis pro Ecclesia tua sancta
Catholica : quam pacificare,
custodire, adunare, et re-
gere digneris toto orbe ter-
rarum: una cum famulo
tuo Papa nostro N., et An-
tistite nostro N., et omni-
bus orthodoxis, atque Cath-
olics et Apostolic?e Fidei
cultoribus.
We therefore humbly
pray and beseech thee,
most merciful Father,
through Jesus Christ thy
Son, our Lord [he kisses
the Altar], that thou
wouldst vouchsafe to ac-
cept and bless these gifts,
these presents, these holy
unspotted sacrifices, which,
in the first place, we offer
thee for thy holy Catholic
Church, to which vouchsafe
to grant peace: as also to
protect, unite, and govern
it throughout the world,
together with thy servant
N. our Pope, N. our Bis-
hop, as also all orthodox
believers and professors of
the Catholic and Apostolic
Faith.
The Structure of the Mass
275
Commemoration of the Living.
Memento, Domine, fam-
ulorum famularumque tua-
rum, N. et N.
Be mindful, O Lord, of
thy servants, men and
women, N. and N.
He pauses, and prays silently for those he intends to pray
for, and proceeds:
Et omnium circumstant-
ium, quorum tibi fides cog-
nita est, et nota devotio:
pro quibus tibi offerimus,
vel qui tibi offerunt hoc
sacrificium laudis, pro se,
suisque omnibus, pro re-
demptione animarum suar-
um, pro spe salutis et in-
columitatis suae : tibique
reddunt vota sua, neterno
Deo. vivo et vero.
Communicantes. et me-
moriam venerantes, inpri-
mis gloriosse semper Vir-
ginis Mariae, genitrieis Dei
et Domini nostri Jesu
Christi : sed et beatorum
Apostolorum ac Martyrum
tuorum, Petri et Pauli, An-
dres, Jacobi, Joannis,
Thomse, Jacobi, Philippi,
Bartholomaei, Matthaei, Si-
monis et Thaddaei : Lini,
Cleti, Clementis, Xysti,
Cornelii, Cypriani, Laur-
entii, Chrysogoni. Joannis
et Pauli, Cosmae et Dami-
ani, et omnium sanctorum
tuorum : quorum mentis
precibusque concedas, ut in
And of all here present,
whose faith and devotion
are known unto thee : for
whom we offer, or who
offer up to thee, this sacri-
fice of praise for them-
selves, their families and
friends, for the redemption
of their souls, for the hope
of their safety and salva-
tion, and who pay their
vows to thee, the eternal,
living, and true God.
Communicating with,
and honoring in the first
place the memory of the
glorious and ever Virgin
Mary, Mother of our Lord
and God Jesus Christ: as
also of the blessed Apostles
and Martyrs. Peter and
Paul, Andrew, James, John,
Thomas, James, Philip,
Bartholomew, Matthew,
Simon and Thaddeus. Lin-
us, Cletus, Clement, Xys-
tus, Cornelius, Cyprian,
Lawrence, Chrysogonus.
John and Paul, Cosmas and
Damian, and of all thy
Saints: by whose merits
and prayers grant that we
276
The Mass and Vestments
omnibus protectionis tuae may be always defended by
mtmiamur auxilio. Per the help of thy protection,
eundem Christum Domi- Through the same Christ
mini nostrum. Amen. our Lord. Amen.
Spreading his hands over the oblation, he says:
Haxc igitur oblationem
servitutis nostra? sed et
cuncta? familise tuae, quae-
sumus, Domine, ut placa-
tus accipias : diesque nos-
tras in tua pace dis-
ponas, atque ab aeterna
damnatione nos eripi, et in
electorum tuorum jubeas
grege numerari. Per
Christum Dominum nos-
trum. Amen.
Ouam oblationem. tu
Deus, in omnibus, quaesu-
mus benedictam. adscrip-
tam, ratam. rationabilem.
acceptabilemnue facere dig-
neris : ut nobis Corpus et
Sanguis fiat dilectissimi
Filii tui domini nostri Tesu
Christi.
Qui pridie quam patere-
tur, accepit panem in sanc-
tas ac venerabiles mantis
suas, et elevatis oculis in
cnelum ad te Deum Patrem
suum omnipotentem : tibi
gratias asrens, benedixit.
fregit deditque discipulis
suis, dicens : Accipite. et
manducate ex hoc omnes :
HOC HST ENIM CORPUS MK-
UM.
We; therefore beseech
thee. O Lord, graciously to
accept this oblation of our
service, as also of thy
whole family : dispose our
days in thy peace, com-
mand us to be delivered
from eternal damnation,
and to be numbered in the
flock of the elect. Through
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Which oblation do thou,
O God, vouchsafe in all
things to make blessed, ap-
proved, ratified, reasonable
and acceptable, that it may
become to us the Body and
Blood of thy most beloved
Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Who the day before he
suffered took bread [he
takes the Host] into his
holy and venerable hands
\he raises his eyes to
Hea^'en], and with his
eyes lifted up toward heav-
en, to God. his almighty
Father, giving thanks to
thee, did bless, break, and
give to his disciples, say-
ins:: Take, and eat ye all of
this : FOR TTTTS. TS MY RODY.
The Structure of the Mass 277
After pronouncing the words of Consecration, the Priest,
kneeling, adores the sacred Host, and rising, he elevates
it.
(At the Elevation the bell is rung thrice.)
Simili modo postquam In like manner, after he
ccenatum est, accipiens et had supped [he takes the
hunc praeclarum calicem in chalice in both his hands]
sanctas ac venerabiles taking also this excellent
mantis suas, item tibi grati- chalice into his holy and
as agens, benedixit, dedit- venerable hands, and giv-
que discipulis suis, dicens: ing thee thanks, he blessed,
Accipite et bibite ex eo and gave to his disciples,
cmnes: hic est enim saying: Take, and drink
CALIX SANGUINIS MEI NOVI
ET AETERNI TESTAMENTI :
MYSTERIUM FIDEI; QUI PRO
VOBTS ET PRO MUETIS EF-
FUNDETUR IN REMISSIONEM
PECCATORUM.
Hsec quotiescumque fec-
eritis, in mei memoriam
facietis.
Kneeling, he adores, and
Unde et memores, Dom-
ine, nos servi tui, sed et
plebs tua sancta, ejusdem
Christi Filii titi Domini
nostri tarn beatae passionis,
necnon et ab inferis resur-
rectionis, sed et in ccelos
gloriosse ascensionis : offer-
imus praeclarae Majestati
tuae, de tuis donis ac datis,
Hostiam puram, Hostiam
sanctam, Hostiam immacu-
latam, panem sanctum vitse
seternae, et calicem salutis
perpetuse.
ye all of this; for this is
THE CHAEICE OF MY BLOOD
OF THE NEW AND ETERNAL
TESTAMENT; THE MYSTERY
OF FAITH ; WHICH SHALL
BE SHED FOR YOU, AND FOR
MANY, TO THE REMISSION
OF SINS.
As often as ye do these
things, ye shall do them in
remembrance of me.
rising, elevates the chalice.
Wherefore, O Lord, we
thy servants, as also thy
holy people, calling to
mind the blessed passion of
the same Christ thy Son
our Lord, his resurrection
from hell, and glorious as-
cension into heaven, offer
unto thy most excellent
Majesty, of thy gifts and
grants, a pure Host, a holy
Host, an immaculate Host,
the holy bread of eternal
life, and the chalice of
everlasting salvation.
278
The Mass and Vestments
Extending his hands, he proceeds:
Supra quae propitio ac
sereno vultu respicere dig-
neris, et accepta habere, si-
cuti accepta habere digna-
tus es munera pueri tui
justi Abel, et sacrificium
Patriarchse nostri Abrahse:
et quod tibi obtulit sum-
mus sacerdos tuus Mel-
chisedech, sanctum sacrifi-
cium, immaculatam hos-
tiam.
Upon which vouchsafe
to look with a propitious
and serene countenance,
and to accept them, as thou
wert graciously pleased to
accept the gifts of thy just
servant Abel, and the sacri-
fice of our Patriarch Abra-
ham, and that which thy
high-priest Melchisedech
offered to thee, a holy sac-
rifice, an immaculate host.
Bowing down, he says:
Supplies te rogamus,
omnipotens Deus, jube hsec
perferri per manus sancti
angeli tui in sublime altare
tuum, in conspectu divinse
Majestatis tuae, ut quot-
quot ex hac altaris partici-
patione, sacrosanctum Filii
tui Corpus et Sanguinem
sumpserimus, omni bene-
dictione ccelesti et gratia
repleamur. Per eundem
Christum Dominum nos-
trum. Amen.
Memento etiam, Domi-
ne, famulorum famular-
umque tuarum N. et N.,
qui nos prsecesserunt cum
signo fidei. et dormiunt in
somno pacis.
We most humbly beseech
thee Almighty God, com-
mand these things to be
carried by the hands of thy
holy angel to thy altar on
high, in the sight of thy di-
vine Majesty, that as many
of us [he kisses the Altar]
as, by participation at this
Altar, shall receive the
most sacred Body and
Blood of thy Son, may be
filled with all heavenly
benediction and grace.
Through the same Christ,
etc. . Amen.
Be mindful, O Lord, of
thy servants and hand-
maids N. and N., who are
gone before us, with the
sign of faith, and sleep in
the sleep of peace.
The Structure of the Mass
279
He prays for such of the Dead as he intends
to pray for.
Ipsis, Domine, et omni-
bus in Christo quiescenti-
bus, locum refrigerii, lucis
et pacis, ut indulgeas, de-
precamur. Per eundem
Christum, etc. Amen.
To these, O Lord, and to
all that rest in Christ,
grant, we beseech thee, a
place of refreshment, light,
and peace. Through the
same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Here, striking his breast and slightly raising
his voice, he says:
Nobis quoque peccatori-
bus famulis tuis, de multi-
tudine miserationum tuar-
um sperantibus, partem ali-
quam et societatem donare
digneris, cum tuis Sanctis
apostolis, et martyribus :
cum Joanne, Stephano,
Matthia, Barnaba, Ig-
natio, Alexandre Marcel-
lino, Petro, Felicitate, Per-
petua, Agatha, Lucia, Ag-
nete, Caecilia, Anastasia, et
omnibus Sanctis tuis : intra
quorum nos consortium,
non aestimator meriti, sed
veniae, quaesumus, largitor
admitte. Per Christum
Dominum nostrum.
Per quern haec omnia
Domine, semper bona creas,
sanctificas, vivificas, bene-
dicis, et praestas nobis. Per
ipsum, et cum ipso, et in
ipso, est tibi Deo Patri om-
nipotent}, in unitate Spiri-
tus Sancti, omnis honor et
gloria.
And to us sinners, thy
servants, hoping in the
multitude of thy mercies,
vouchsafe to grant some
part and fellowship with
thy holy apostles and mar-
tyrs : with John, Stephen,
Matthias, Barnabas, Igna-
tius, Alexander, Marcel-
linus, Peter, Felicitas, Per-
petua, Agatha, Lucy, Ag-
nes, Cecilia, Anastasia, and
with all thy Saints: into
whose company we beseech
thee to admit us, not con-
sidering our merit, but
freely pardoning our of-
fences. Through Christ
our Lord.
By whom, O Lord, thou
dost always create, sancti-
fy, quicken, bless, and give
us all these good things.
Through him, and with
him, and in him, is to thee,
God the Father Almighty,
in the unity of the Holy
Ghost, all honor and glory.
280
The Mass and Vestments
V. Per omnia saecula
saeculorum.
R. Amen.
Praeceptis salutaribus
moniti, et divina institu-
tione formati, audemus
dicere.
Pater noster, qui es in
coelis, sanctificetur nomen
tuum : adveniat regnum
tuum : fiat voluntas tua si-
cut in coelo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidian-
um da nobis hodie: et di-
mitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus de-
bitoribus nostris. Et ne
nos inducas in tentationem.
M. Sed libera nos a
malo.
V. Forever and ever.
R. Amen.
Instructed by thy saving
precepts, and following thy
divine institution, we pre-
sume to say:
Our Father, who art
in heaven, hallowed be thy
name : thy kingdom come ;
thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven. Give us
this day our daily bread:
and forgive us our tres-
passes, as we forgive them
that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temp-
tation.
A.
evil.
But deliver us from
He then says in a loud voice, "Amen," and continues:
Libera nos, quaesumus,
Domine, ab omnibus ma-
lis. praeteritis, praesentibus,
et futuris: et intercedente
beata et gloriosa semper
Virgine Dei Genitrice
Maria, cum beatis Aposto-
lis tuis Petro et Paulo, at-
que Andrea, et omnibus
Sanctis, da propitius pacem
in diebus nostris : ut ope
misericordiae tuae adjuti, et
a peccato simus semper
liberi, et ab omni pertur-
batione securi. Per eun-
dem Dominum nostrum
Jesum Christum Filium
Deliver us, we beseech
thee, O Lord, from all
evils, past, present, and to
come: and by the interces-
sion of the blessed and
glorious Mary ever Virgin,
Mother of God, together
with thy blessed Apostles
Peter and Paul, and An-
drew, and all the Saints
\ making the sign of the
Cross on himself zvith the
paten, he kisses it, and
says] : mercifully grant
peace in our days : that by
the assistance of thy mercy
we mav be alwavs free
The Structure of the Mass
281
tuum. Qui tecum vivit et
regnat in unitate Spiritus
Sancti Deus.
from sin, and secure from
all disturbance. Through
th,e same Jesus Christ thy
Son our Lord. Who with
thee, in the unity of the
Holy Ghost, liveth and
reigneth God.
Then he says aloud:
V. Per omnia saecula
saeculorum.
R. Amen.
V. Pax Domini sit
semper vobiscum.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo.
V. World without end.
R. Amen.
V. May the peace of
the Lord be always with
you.
R. And with thy spirit.
In a low voice:
Haec commixtio et con- May this mixture and
secratio Corporis et San- consecration of the Body
guinis Domini nostri Tesu and Blood of our Lord
Christi fiat accipientibus Jesus Christ be to us that
nobis in vitam aeternam. receive it effectual to eter-
Amen. nal life. Amen.
Striking his breast three times, he says:
Agnus Dei, qui tollis
peccata mundi, miserere
nobis (tzuice).
Agnus Dei, qui tollis
peccata mundi, dona nobis
pacem.
Domine Jesu Christe,
qui dixisti Apostolis tuis,
pacem relinquo vobis, pac-
em meam do vobis : ne re-
spicias peccata mea, sed fi-
Lamb of God, who tak-
est away the sins of the
world, have mercy upon us
(twice).
Lamb of God, who tak-
est away the sins of the
world, grant us thy peace.
Lord Jesus Christ, who
saidst to thy Apostles,
peace I leave with you, my
peace I give unto you ; re-
gard not my sins, but the
282
The Mass and Vestments
dem Ecclesiae tuae : eamque
secundum voluntatem tuam
pacificare et coadunare dig-
neris : qui vivis et regnas
Deus, per omnia saecula
saeculorum. Amen.
Domine Jesu Christe,
Fili Dei vivi, qui ex volun-
tate Patris, co-operante
Spiritu Sancto, per mor-
tem tuam mundum vivifi-
casti : libera me per hoc
sacrosanctum corpus et
sanguinem tuum ab omni-
bus iniquitatibus meis, et
universis malis, et fac me
tuis semper inhaerere man-
datis, et a te nunquam sep-
arari permittas : qui cum
eodem Deo Patre et Spiritu
Sancto vivis et regnas
Deus in saecula saeculorum.
Amen.
Perceptio corporis tui.
Domine Jesu Christe, quod
ego indignus sumere prae-
sumo, non mihi proveniat
in judicium et condemna-
tionem : sed pro tua pietate
prosit mihi ad tutamentum
mentis et corporis, et ad
m e d e 1 a m percipiendam.
Qui vivis et regnas cum
Deo Patre. in unitate Spir-
itus Sancti. Deus per om-
nia saecula saeculorum.
Amen.
faith of thy Church : and
vouchsafe to it that peace
and unity which is agree-
able to thy will : who livest
and reignest God forever
and ever. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ. Son
of the living God, who,
according to the will of the
Father, through the co-
operation of the Holy
Ghost, hast by thy death
given life to the world : de-
liver me by this, thy most
sacred Body and Blood,
from all my iniquities and
from all evils; and make
me always adhere to thy
commandments, and never
suffer me to be separated
from thee : who with the
same God the Father and
Holy Ghost livest and
reignest God forever and
ever. Amen.
Let not the participation
of thy Body, O Lord Jesus
Christ, which I, unworthy,
presume to receive, turn to
my judgment and condem-
nation : but through thy
goodness may it be to me a
safeguard and remedy,
both of soul and body.
Who with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy
Ghost, livest and reignest
God forever and ever.
Amen.
The Structure of the Mass
283
Making a genuflection, the Priest rises and says:
Panem coelestem accipi- I will take the bread of
am, et nomen Domini in- heaven, and call upon the
vocabo. name of the Lord.
Then striking his breast, and raising his voice
a little, he says three times:
DominE, non sum dig
nus ut intres sub tectum
meum : sed tantum die ver-
bo, et sanabitur anima mea.
Lord, I am not worthy
that thou shouldst enter
under my roof : say but the
word, and my soul shall be
healed.
After which he says:
Corpus Domini nostri May the Body of our
Jesu Christi custodiat ani- Lord Jesus Christ preserve
mam meam in vitam seter- my soul to life everlasting,
nam. Amen. Amen.
He then receives the sacred Host, and after
a short pause, says:
Quid retribuam Domino
pro omnibus quse retribuit
mihi ? Calicem salutaris
accipiam, et nomen Domi-
ni invocabo. Laudans in-
vocabo Dominum, et ab in-
imicis meis salvus ero.
What shall I render to
the Lord for all he hath
rendered unto me? I will
take the chalice of salva-
tion, and call upon the
name of the Lord. Prais-
ing I will call upon the
Lord, and I shall be saved
from mv enemies.
Receiving the chalice, he says:
Sanguis Domini nostri The Blood of our Lord
Jesu Christi custodiat ani- Jesus Christ preserve my
mam meam in vitam aeter- soul to everlasting life,
nam. Amen. Amen.
[Those who are to communicate go up to the Sanctuary at the
Domine, non sum dignus, when the bell rings: the Acolyte
spreads a cloth before them, and says the Confiteor.]
284 The Mass and Vestments
Then the Priest, turning to the communicants,
pronounces the Absolution.
Misereatur vestri, etc. May Almighty God have
Indulgentiam, absolution- mercy, etc. May the Al-
em, etc. mighty and merciful Lord,
etc.
Elevating a particle of the Blessed Sacrament,
and turning toward the people, he says:
Ecce Agnus Dei, ecce Behold the Lamb of
qui tollit peccata mundi. God, behold him who tak-
eth away the sins of the
world.
[And then repeats three times, Domine, non sum dignus, etc.l
He then administers the Holy Communion,
saying to each:
Corpus Domini nostri May the Body of our
Jesu Christi custodiat ani- Lord Jesus Christ preserve
mam tuam in vitam aeter- thy soul to life everlast-
nam. Amen. ing. Amen.
Taking the hirst ablution, he says:
Quod ore sumpsimus, Grant, Lord, that what
Domine, pura mente capia- we have taken with our
mus ; et de munere tempor- mouth we may receive with
ali fiat nobis remediuni a pure mind ; and from a
sempiternum. temporal gift may it be-
come to us an eternal rem-
edy.
Taking the second ablution, he says:
Corpus tuum, Domine, May thy Body, O Lord,
quod sumpsi, et sanguis which I have received, and
quern potavi, adhgereat vis- thy Blood which I have
ceribus meis : et praesta, ut drunk, cleave to my bow-
in me non remaneat sceler- els : and grant that no stain
The Structure of the Mass
285
urn macula, quern pura et
sancta refecerunt sacra-
menta. Qui vivis et reg-
nas in ssecula saeculorum.
Amen.
of sin may remain in me,
who have been refreshed
with pure and holy sacra-
ments. Who livest, etc.
Amen.
He then wipes the chaliee, zvhich he covers; and Ivaving
folded the corporal, places it in the burse;
he then reads the Communion. Then he tarns to the
people, and says:
V. Dominus vobiscum. V. The) Lord be with
you.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo. R. And with thy spirit.
Then he reads the Post-Communion.
Afterward he turns again toward the people,
and says:
V. Dominus vobiscum. V. The; Lord be with
you.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo. R. And with thy spirit.
V. Ite, Missa est. V. Go, the Mass is
R. Deo gratias.
ended.
R. Thanks be to God.
Bowing down before the Altar, he says:
Placeat tibi sancta
Trinitas, obsequium servi-
tutis mese : et praesta, ut
sacrificium quod oculis tuae
Majestatis indignus obtuli.
tibi sit acceptabile, mi-
hique, et omnibus, pro qui-
bus illud obtuli, sit, te mis-
erante, propitiabile. Per
Christum Dominum nos-
trum. Amen.
O Holy Trinity, let the
performance of my hom-
age be pleasing to thee:
and grant that the sacrifice
which I, unworthy, have
offered up in the sight of
thy Majesty, may be ac-
ceptable to thee, and
through thy mercy be a
propitiation for me, and
all those for whom I have
offered it. Through Christ
our Lord. Amen.
286
The Mass and Vestments
Then he kisses the Altar, and raising his eyes, extending,
raising, and joining his hands, he bozvs his head to the
Crucifix, and says:
Benedicat vos omnipo- May Almighty God, the
tens Deus, Pater, et Filius, Father, Son, and Holy
et Spiritus Sanctus. Amen. Ghost, bless you. Amen.
At the word "Deus," he turns toward the people, and
makes the sign of the Cross on them. Then turning to
the Gospel side of the Altar, he says:
V. Dominus vobiscum. V. The Lord be with
you.
R. Et cum spiritu tuo. R. And with thy spirit.
[The Benediction is omitted in Masses for the Dead.]
He then begins the Gospel according to St.
John, saying:
S. Initium sancti
Evangelii secundum Joan-
nem.
M. Gloria tibi, Domine.
In principio erat Ver-
bum, et Verbum erat apud
Deum : et Deus erat Ver-
bum : hoc erat in principio
apud Deum. Omnia per
ipsum facta sunt, et sine
ipso factum est nihil quod
factum est : in ipso vita
erat et vita erat lux homi-
num : et lux in tenebris
lucet, et tenebrse earn non
comprehenderunt.
P. The beginning of
the holy Gospel according
to St. John.
A. Glory be to thee, O
Lord.
In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was
with God. and the Word
was God : the same was in
the beginning with God.
All things were made by
him, and without him was
made nothing that was
made : in him was life, and
the life was the light of
men: and the light shineth
in darkness, and the dark-
ness did not comprehend
it.
The Structure of the Mass
287
Fuit homo missus a Deo,
cui nomen erat Joannes.
Hie venit in testimonium
ut testimonium perhiberet
de lumine, ut omnes cred-
erent per ilium. Non
erat ille lux : sed ut testi-
monium perhiberet de
lumine. Erat lux vera quae
illuminat omnem hominem
venientem in hunc mun-
dum.
In mundo erat, et mun-
dus per ipsum factus est,
et mundus eum non cog-
novit. In propria venit, et
sui eum non receperunt.
Quotquot autem receperunt
eum dedit eis potestatem
There was a man sent
from God, whose name
was John. This man came
for a witness to give testi-
mony of the light, that all
men might believe through
him. He was not the light,
but came to give testimony
of the light. He was the
true light which enlighten-
eth every man that cometh
into this world.
He was in the world,
and the world was made by
him, and the world knew
him not. He came unto
his own, and his own re-
ceived him not. But as
many as received him, to
filios Dei fieri : his qui ere- them he gave power to be-
dunt in nomine ejus, qui come the sons of God : to
non ex sanguinibus, neque
ex voluntate carnis, neque
ex voluntate viri. sed ex
Deo nati sunt, et verbum
CARO PACTUM EST [hie ven-
ufleetitur], et habitavit in
nobis : et vidimus gloriam
ejus, gloriam quasi Uni-
geniti a Patre, plenum
gratia? et veritatis.
M. Deo gfratias.
those that believe in his
name, who are born not of
blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of
man, but of God. and
the Word was made
flesh [here the people
kneel down], and dwelt
among us : and we saw his
glory, as it were the glory
of the Only-begotten of the
Father,
truth.
A. Thanks be to God.
full of grace and
When a Feast falls on a Sunday, or other day which has a
proper Gospel of its own, the Gospel of the day is read
instead of the Gospel of St. John.
288 The Mass and Vestments
The Fast Jor Mass.
The universal rule in the Church of East and
West enjoins that the celebrant of a Mass shall be
fasting from food and drink, among the Copts and
Ethiopians from the evening before, and in the
Roman practice, from the preceding mid-night.
Cardinal Bona ascribes the custom to an Apostolic
origin and St. Augustine records the reason of it,
viz: out of respect for the Holy Eucharist.
In the ancient Church the fast was dispensed
with on Holy Thursday in memory of the Last
Supper, and celebrant and communicant allowed
to receive after partaking food. The exception in
the Coptic Church is to administer the Viaticum
to the dying. As the Blessed Sacrament is not
reserved among them a non-fasting priest may
celebrate Mass night or day when such a con-
tingency arises.
Among us the following are the exceptions:
(1) To complete the Mass, when the celebrant
is disabled in or after the Consecration, and when
the celebrant drinking from the chalice discovers
water instead of wine. In the first instance, a
non-fasting priest within the first hour of the in-
terruption may finish the sacrifice. In the second,
the same priest though consuming the water
should consecrate wine and drink it.
(2) To protect the Sacred Host from insult or
injury.
The Structure of the Mass 289
These exceptions are certain.
The following are uncertain with a leaning to
the affirmative:
(1) To provide the Viaticum for the dying.
(2) If inadvertently a priest break his fast on a
Sunday or Holyday of obligation and a goodly
number of the people have not heard Mass.
(3) If a priest at the altar remember he is not
fasting and has finished with the Consecration, he
must proceed to the end; if the recollection pre-
cede the Consecration, a fear of scandal or
defamation may justify a continuance.
Washing the hands.
In the Western Church the celebrant washes his
hands before vesting, and in the Eastern, after
vesting to typify purity of heart and out of defer-
ential reverence for the Sacred Presence. In
early times all the faithful washed their hands on
entering the church. The priest performs this
ablution thrice: before vesting, after the Offertory
and after Communion; a bishop four times: before
assuming the vestments, after reading the Offer-
tory, at the Lavabo and after Communion.
The washing at the Offertory is a vestige of those
ancient days when the bishop received the gifts
of the people at the altar.
Covering the Feet
In imitation of the High Priest in the Mosaic
Law who always officiated barefooted, Egyptian
290 The Mass and Vestments
monks notably, and a few others in the past, and
Nestorians now, say Mass in their naked feet.
Among Armenians whilst choir attendants are
bared of foot, the celebrant wears a black slipper.
Only at the adoration of the Cross on Good
Friday are the ministers of the Roman rite
allowed to doff their shoes. The rubric now
requires the priest to wear a footgear. Formerly a
bishop was free to select in his sandal the color
that pleased him most. The priest, however,
was restricted to black, and the red-peaked boot
was especially forbidden.
Vesting.
The priest dons the vestments in the sacristy;
a bishop at the throne and altar. The explana-
tion of this Episcopal privilege is, that formerly
all cathedrals had in their nave a small altar at
which the bishop sat on his way to officiate, to
receive the veneration of the people as they entered,
and which for this cause was called the Saluta-
torium. Here he vested and moved in solemn
procession to the altar.
The Sign of the Cross.
This is made always with the right hand on
forehead, breast, left and right shoulder, with the
following distribution of the formula: "In the
name of the Father" on the forehead; "and of the
Son" on breast; "and of the Holy Ghost, Amen,"
as the hand passes from the left to the right
The Structure of the Mass 291
shoulder. Until the sixteenth century and Pope
Pius V, the custom was to carry the hand from
the right to the left shoulder which still continues
in the Greek Church.
The Pope, bishops and members of the Car-
thusian and Dominican Orders follow the primitive
arrangement of the fingers in signing the cross
by closing the little and ring fingers of the right
hand, and extending the other three. The three
extended fingers symbolize the Blessed Trinity and
the two folded ones the twofold nature of Christ.
The 42nd Psalm, Judica me Deus.
Before the years of Pope Pius V this psalm was
optional in the Mass. The new missal published
by him made it obligatory for the first time. All
the older Orders are exempt from our manner of
its recitation. Because it embodies a note of joy
and triumph it is omitted in Passiontide and from
requiem Masses.
The Confiteor.
It is accepted by experts that a form of con-
fession was always found somewhere in the Mass,
although its form and place are not always sure.
Merati testifies that the present formula is the
creation of the third Council of Ravenna (1314)
and was a composite from the many other exist-
ing forms. According to Durandus the triple
percussion of the breast is a reminder of the three
essentials of Penance: contrition, confession and
292 The Mass and Vestments
satisfaction. When the priest ascends to the altar
he kisses it in honor of its relics. The Dominicans
kiss a cross traced on the altar by the celebrant,
and a bishop first kisses the altar and then the
gospel of the day presented to him by the sub-
deacon in memory of the time when a painted
cross on the missal was kissed instead of the altar.
The Introit.
The introit is the beginning of Mass, called in
the Ambrosian rite Ingress, and in the Mozarabic,
Office. It is called Introit either because it is the
entry into the Sacrifice, or because it was sung by
the choir when the bishop or celebrant was ap-
proaching the altar. Its origin is credited to Pope
Celestine (423-432) and arrangement to Pope
Gregory the Great, The introits are taken
usually from the psalms. Those derived from a
different source are called irregular. Their tone
is an index of the season and the quality of the
Mass — joyful or sad — triumphant or penitential.
Kyrie Eleison.
This is called the Minor Litany. Kyrie Eleison,
Lord have mercy on us; Christe Eleison, Christ
have mercy on us. It is repeated in all nine
times — thrice to each person of the most Blessed
Trinity. The Greek is used because it is perhaps
a more ancient liturgic tongue than the Latin,
and because it shares with the Hebrew and Latin
the honor of a place on the Cross. Hence as the
The Structure of the Mass 293
Church employs the Greek, so also she speaks the
Hebrew in her service, like Amen, alleluia,
hosanno, sabaoth, cherubim, seraphim.
Gloria in Excelsis.
Its composer and the author of its place in the
Mass are unknown. It is called the major doxology
and was reserved to a bishop's Mass, the priest
being permitted to say it only on Easter Sunday.
At Rome and Tours it was chanted in Greek and
Latin on Christmas morning. It is excluded from
certain Masses because of its joyous tone. The
bishop of Bethlehem insisted on his right to recite
it in every Mass. Pope Pius V determined its
liturgic place. As it was reserved to bishops, and
peace is its burden, the bishop's salutation to the
people after its recital is "Pax vobis" instead of
the priest's "Dominus vobiscum," in memory of
his ancient privilege, and afterwards he uses the
priestly salute.
The Collect.
The prayer is thus designated because from col-
ligere, (to gather up) it brings together within
its small scope the many wants of the people and
presents them to God by the priest's ministry.
Whilst chanting or reading the collect the cele-
brant holds his hands extended in token of the
primitive attitude of prayer taken by the faithful.
Churches were devoid of pews or seats and a
sitting posture was discouraged as incongruous
294 The Mass and Vestments
with the Divine Presence. The aged and feeble
were allowed staves on which to lean and rarely
cushions on which to sit. The rubrical attitude
for Sundays was to stand, and for the weekdays
to kneel. The deacon sang the warning posture
to the people, and thus when kneeling he chanted
"Erecti stemus honeste" (let us stand up becom-
ingly), and when standing, "Flectamus genua
(kneel) and "Levate" (arise), and again
"Humiliate capita vestra Deo" (bow down
your heads before God). The number of collects
varies with the dignity of the Mass. The more
solemn feasts have only one, whilst those of an
inferior rank may have three, five or seven. One
is the minimum; seven the maximum. Gregory
the Great appointed one collect for all Masses.
Innocent III (1216) testifies that in his time the
modern number had already been introduced.
The aggregate is uneven according to Benedict
XIV to symbolize liturgical oneness, and as the
sum total is odd and indivisible it better retains
its integrity. An additional collect may be per-
mitted by the rubrics, and the mandate of the
Holy See, or the bishop.
One collect denotes the mystery of unity; three
are said for the Most Blessed Trinity or in
memory of the triple prayer of Christ in Gethsem-
ane; five in veneration of the five wounds of the
Redeemer, and seven as indicative of the seven
petitions of the Our Father.
The Structure of the Mass 295
Amen.
At the finish of the collect the server or choir
answers "Amen" a Hebrew word signifying
"may it be so." Cardinal Bona says it is one of
those words which the translators have left un-
touched lest any wresting of it from the original
Hebrew form might impair its beauty and force.
The Gfadual.
The Gradual is a response to the Epistle, and
so called from gradus (step) because it was
sung from the step of the ambo or pulpit. The
object of the chant here was to hold the attention
of the worshippers whilst the procession to sing
the gospel was forming.
Alleluia.
The Gradual closes with an alleluia, which is a
Hebrew word signifying, "praise the Lord" from
"allelu" (praise) and "Jah" one of the names
for God. In the Roman rite it is never used in
penitential or requiem services. The Greek and
Mozarabic rite employs it ostentatiously in all
services.
The 1 ract.
When the alleluia is omitted the Tract com-
posed of verses from the psalms is subjoined to the
Gradual. Its name is derived from the Latin trahere
(to draw out) a name descriptive of the slow
measured manner of its chanting. Sometimes on
296 The Mass and Vestments
special feasts a composition called a Sequence,
because it follows the alleluia was sung instead of
the Tract. The most noted of these are the
Stabat Mater, Dies Irae, Lauda Sion, Veni Sancte
Spiritus.
The Gospel.
During the reading or singing of the Gospel
the people stand, and after, the missal is kissed by
the priest in veneration of the Word of God.
Formerly every one in the congregation also
kissed the Gospel. Before it is read the missal is
"changed," that is carried from the right, or
Epistle side, to the left, or Gospel side of the altar.
The symbolic reason for this is the rejection of
the Synagogue and the selection of the Gentile
for the Gospel message. The real reason is to
make room for the gifts of the people at the
Offertory and the spacious paten required for the
large Host. Whilst the Gospel was read, staves,
decorations, crowns and sceptres were all effaced.
The Creed.
The Mass of the Catechumens closed with the
Gospel and the Creed was not recited until they
had departed. Prior to the Council of Nice (325)
the Apostles' Creed was said in the Mass. The
Creed now said is a Creed composed by the Fathers
of Trent on the formulas of the Councils of Nice
and Constantinople. The Creed of Nice was
never a portion of the Roman Mass. That of
The Structure of the Mass 297
Constantinople with its fuller profession of faith
prevailed for many centuries. The rubrics deter-
mine when a Mass shall have a Credo. As a rule
all Sunday Masses have the Creed in honor of the
Resurrection, and also doctors and apostles.
Martyrs, confessors, virgins and widows are de-
prived of it. The Blessed Virgin and Mary Magda-
lene as the "Apostle of Apostles" are entitled to it.
The Offertory.
The word comes from the Latin offerre (to
offer). At this stage of the Mass the bishop
moved to the railing to receive the gifts of the
people— bread and wine, oil, incense, ears of corn
and clusters of grapes presented, first by the men
on clean linen cloths, and then the women with
their cakes of fine flour and cruses of wine. Hav-
ing received them, the bishop washed his hands
and returned to the altar to receive the gift of
bread made by the priests and deacons. What-
ever was needed for the sacrifice was left on the
altar; all else on a side table. The donors had
their names recorded for a share of the Mass and
it was customary for the same to receive Com-
munion. A relic of this custom is visible in the
Mass of the consecration of a bishop who offers
two lighted candles, two loaves of bread and two
kegs of wine.
After the oblation of the bread, wine in quantity
about a small wine glass full is poured into the
298 The Mass and Vestments
chalice and two or three drops of water are added.
The reason of the mixture of water is to repeat
what Christ very probably did at the Last Supper,
as a custom has been enduring in the East of
tempering the wine with water before drinking it.
It also suggests holy Baptism, the blood and water
that issued from His side, and the union of the
divine and human nature in His Sacred Person.
The prayer that follows the Lavabo is called the
Secret because said in silence to avoid disturbing
the singers who stood near the altar.
Preface.
It is so called because it is preliminary or intro-
ductory to the Canon. In ancient times every
feast had its own Preface. In the eleventh cen-
tury the Church reduced the number to nine, and
afterwards added two, thus making the aggregate
eleven. Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Passiontide,
Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, the Most Blessed
Trinity, the Blessed Virgin and the Apostles have
their own special Prefaces.
The Canon.
We now approach the most solemn part of the
Mass. To assist recollection and to suggest pro-
found respect it is always read in silence. In point
of antiquity it is the most venerable portion
of the Mass. Substantially it is identical with
the Canon prior to Gregory the Great in the
seventh century. It is called both Canon and
The Structure of the Mass 299
Action. The synonym for Canon is the Latin
regula, a fixed standard or rule, and as applied
to the Mass it signifies that part of it which with
a few trivial exceptions is permanent and unchang-
ing in its prayers and ceremonies. It was also
called the Prayer, the Oration, the Ecclesiastical
Rule, the Secret. The expression "Infra Action-
em" (within the Action) is a warning that certain
words are to be annexed to the regular prayer of
the Canon. At the letters N. N. still repeated in
the Missal before the Consecration and again after
it, the Mass was delayed long enough to read
aloud from the Diptychs or folding tablets the
names of the living worthy of mention, and
following the Consecration, those of the dead.
These names were arranged in three parallel
columns. In the first were^the names of those
who died for the faith— martyrs, thus canonized
because deemed worthy of being read out and
remembered in the Canon. This was the primitive
meaning and usage of canonization. Every new
saint is likewise invoked and inserted in the
Canon of the first Mass offered by the Pope after
his solemn canonization in memory of this ancient
practice. In the second column were the names
of the 'spiritual and civil superiors, benefactors
and those for whom the Mass was offered. The
third column contained ,the names of the
dead.
300 The Mass and Vestments
The Elevation.
After the Consecration of the sacred species,
each in its turn, the priest elevates it on high for
the adoration of the people, to the accompaniment
of bell or gong to quicken attention. Before the
eleventh century, there was only the minor eleva-
tion at the "omnis honor et gloria," preceding
the Pater Noster, which was then made nearly
as conspicuous as the present elevation. The
prevailing custom is a protest against Berengarius
who denied Transubstantiation. At first there
was only an elevation of the Host, and subse-
quently of the chalice, after the lapse of a
century.
Breaking of the Host.
The breaking or fraction of the loaf in the
early Church was an elaborate ceremony, not
merely for subsequent distribution, but as in the
Gallican Church, to enable the celebrant to lay out
the Particles upon the Corporal in some fanciful
picture of the Lord's Body, The Mozarabic rite
divides into nine, and the early Irish Church
varied from five parts on ordinary days to sixty-
five for Ascension day. The Roman practice was
a fraction into three parts only — one part dipped
in the chalice to represent Christ alive from the
dead, the second consumed by the priest, and the
third reserved for the Tabernacle. Later, the Pope
broke off the crown of one loaf, and every bishop
The Structure of the Mass 301
and priest present broke many Particles from two
consecrated loaves held before them.
Before the regular Communion in a Solemn Mass
was the ceremony of Sancta (holy) and in private
Masses, Fermentum (leaven). They were similar
in this, that they consisted in placing in the chalice
a portion of the pre-consecrated Host reserved
from the previous Solemn Mass said by a bishop,
in order that all who partook of it would be
brought into communion with all who offered at
the Solemn Mass, and through them with Chris-
tians from the beginning.
As now practiced, the commixture is a distinct
ceremony and no mere survival of the Fermen-
tum, its object being to imitate Christ in the
breaking of the Host, and to represent the Body
of Christ in its glorified state through the infusion
of the Blood which is the life unto the Crucified
Body.
The Pax.
After the Agnus Dei in a Solemn High Mass
the Pax or kiss of peace is given in commemora-
tion of the loving intercourse between Christ and
His disciples. It is not given in a requiem Mass
because of its mournful character, and further,
because it was not the custom to receive Com-
munion at such Masses, and the Pax before all
else was a token of reconciliation between man
and man before the reception of the Holy Eucharist.
302 The Mass and Vestments
Holy Communion.
In the ancient Church the people were accus-
tomed to receive Communion every time they
assisted at Mass, and often in the day if they were
fasting. Until the sixth century, the manner of
receiving was to place the Sacred Host in the
hands of the communicant and let him com-
municate himself. Males received it in the
uncovered hands arranged in the form of a
cross, and the palm of the right hand convexed
to forestall a danger of allowing the Host to
fall Females were required to receive the
sacred Particle in a hand-cloth called a Domini-
cal, and so imperative was this restriction that
they were denied Communion if they presented
themselves without this clean linen cloth. With
the relaxing of the earlier fervor a new enact-
ment was enforced requiring all to approach Holy
Communion on Sundays and festivals, and still
another command to receive at Christmas, Easter
and Pentecost.
Finally, the Council of Lateran (1215) decreed,
under pain of excommunication, that all the faith-
ful who had reached the years of discretion should
confess their sins at least once a year and receive
Holy Communion within the Easter time, which
normally includes Holy Week and the Easter
octave, but which England extends from Ash Wed-
nesday to Low Sunday; Ireland from Ash Wed-
The Structure of the Mass 303
nesday to the Octave day of SS. Peter and Paul,
and the United States from the first Sunday in
Lent to Trinity Sunday. This solemn injunction
was afterward confirmed and renewed by the
Council of Trent and is the requirement in vogue
now.
In the age of persecution the faithful were per-
mitted to carry the Sacred Host to their homes,
where it was reserved in a special pyx, and com-
municate themselves when imminent death
threatened.
Until the twelfth century Communion was ad-
ministered under both kinds. After this it began
to be restricted to the celebrant, but did not become
a universal custom until by order of the Council
of Constance (1414) in protest to the teaching of
Huss and Jerome of Prague.
In the Saxon Church from the arrival of
Augustine to the Reformation the English name
for the Eucharist was the "housel," from husel
or husle, a victim of sacrifice. To administer
Holy Communion was "to housel;" to receive it
was "to go to the housel," or "to be houselled."
After the Reformation, sacrament was substituted
for it.
It is a matter of observation that the Speaker of
the British House of Commons bows three times
profoundly as he approaches his chair. The ex-
planation is found in the reservation of the Host
304 The Mass and Vestments
above the Speaker's tribune in the olden Catholic
days as a restraint and an inspiration for the law-
makers of the realm.
In the Eastern Church, and in certain French
churches, bread is blessed for distribution either
during or after the service among those who do
not receive Communion. The Greeks call it
Antidoron (instead of the gift) because Doron
or gift is the name of the Eucharist, and in France
it is known as pain benit (blessed bread). It is
an error to call it the Eucharist,
The custom in Paris is said to be a reminiscence
of the siege of the city by Childeric and his
Franks, when St. Genevieve its patroness, (died
509) brought in a shipload of wheat to its starv-
ing citizens. This origin is doubtful because of a
kindred custom among the Greeks. It rather
harks back and is an echo of the time, when
the people brought their gifts to the church, and
leaving a portion to the Lord, received back
another blessed portion for themselves, as is also
done on Candlemas day now with their gift of
candles,
Ite, missa est.
Formerly this invitation terminated the Mass.
In the tenth century the custom came of blessing
the people with a triple cross by every celebrant
until Clement VIII reserved the triple form to
bishops, and the single cross to priests. Requiem
The Structure of the Mass 305
Masses follow the ancient custom of abstention
from a blessing.
The Gospel of St. John was not a part of the
Mass until by order of Pius V. Even now it is
absent from a Carthusian, Cistercian and a Bene-
dictine Mass at Cluny and Monte Cassino. In a
Solemn Mass a bishop recites it as he walks to his
throne; at Clermont the priest repeats it at the
door of the sacristy, and in Lyons on the way
back from the altar.
CHAPTER XXL
ON THE REQUISITES OF THE MASS.
ALTAR, TABERNACLE.
According to present Church ordinances,
what is required for the proper celebration of
Mass?
(1) A stone, fixed or portable, altar, conse-
crated by a bishop.
(2) A triple linen cloth covering the same.
(3) Sacred vestments blessed by competent
power.
(4) A consecrated chalice and paten.
(5) Linen corporal blessed.
(6) Linen pall to cover chalice,
(7) Linen purificator.
(8) Missal and missal stand.
(9) A crucifix, and not merely a cross.
(10) Two lighted wax candles.
(11) Burse, veil, finger towels and two glass
cruets.
(12) Bread and wine.
(13) A regularly ordained priest who has ob-
tained and not forfeited the Episcopal permission
to celebrate Mass.
The Requisites of the Mass 307
THE ALTAR.
Wliat is an Altar? Whence its name?
An altar is a table on which Mass is offered.
It is derived from a Latin word which is synono-
mous for a "high
thing or structure."
The other title Ara
or altar, as found in
the name of that
celebrated Roman
altar platform Church, Ara Coeli,
has its origin in a Greek word which means to
elevate or lift up. Because this latter title also
meant a funeral pyre and was identified with
pagan worship, it was rejected by early Christian
writers as bearing any relation to a Christian altar.
What ivas the material of Altars in the
early Church?
The tradition is provable that the Apostles and
their disciples, in imitation of Christ, celebrated
Mass on wooden altars. The Lateran basilica and
the church of St. Pudentiana in Rome possess,
the first an entire, the second a fragment of a
wooden altar on which St. Peter is said to have
offered Mass. Even in primitive times there were
also altars of stone and metal.
In the Roman Breviary — Office of the Dedica-
tion of the Basilica of the Holy Saviour, November
308 The Mass and Vestments
9 — it is recorded that Pope Sylvester (314) the
contemporary of Constantine the Great, who gave
the Church a legal status, decreed that henceforth
altars should be constructed only of stone, and in
the sixth century the Council of Epaon (517) en-
joined that only stone altars may be hallowed
with holy chrism. This reference to Pope Syl-
vester seems unhistoric, for the reason that such
a decree is non-existent, and further, because
wooden altars were in use in many churches down
to the Middle ages. The requirement of stone
altars yet prevails the universal custom even when
altars are of wood and only provisional structures,
because they must have a consecrated altar stone
in their mensa or table, large enough to carry the
host, chalice and ciborium for their Consecration.
What is the significancy of the Altar?
According to the Roman Pontifical in the
ordination of a sub-deacon, the altar is a figure of
Christ. "The altar truly of the Church is Christ
Himself, according to the testimony of John, who
in his Apocalypse witnesseth that he saw a golden
altar standing before the throne, on which and by
whom the offerings of the faithful to God the
Father are hallowed." It is of stone because in
Sacred Scripture Christ is likened to a stone and a
rock, St. Paul (1 Cor. X. 4) testifying that, "the
rock however was Christ," and St. Peter, (1 Peter,
II, 4, 6) "Unto whom coming as to a living stone,
The Requisites of the Mass 309
rejected indeed by men, but chosen and made
honorable by God; be ye also as living stones built
up, a spiritual house."
From which St. Thomas Aquinas (Part. III. q.
83, Art. 3) concludes the propriety of the present
discipline which insists that only altars of stone be
erected, and on them alone the holy Mass be cele-
brated.
What are the requisites oj an Altar that
Mass may be celebrated on it?
An altar should be:
(1) Of stone, and
(2) Consecrated by a bishop.
7s Mass ever permissible save on an Altar?
The Church never allows even to missionaries
the celebration of Mass except on, at least, a por-
table altar, or consecrated altar stone, (Decree of
September 2, 1780). Whilst the need of a conse-
crated altar stone is imperative for the lawful
celebration of Mass, Berardi and Genicot teach that
in case of necessity, it is permitted to offer Mass
on an altar stone that has lost its consecration by
breakage, opening of the sepulchre, or deprivation
of its relics.
How many kinds oj Altars are there?
Three:
(1) A fixed altar, using the term "fixed" in a
strict sense. This altar has two essential elements:
CANONICAl.LV FIXED ALTAR
310 The Mass and Vestments
A lower construc-
tion, or base of
stone, brick or iron
with no intercept-
ing wood, and a
stone mensa, or
table joined tightly
to it by some ad-
hesive material, the whole constituting a permanent
structure built on a solid foundation. In the surface
of this table is cut a small receptacle called a sepul-
chre for the relics of the saints enclosed in it, under
a small stone square called a seal. This sepulchre
may be otherwise placed as hereafter mentioned.
When there is mention of a consecrated altar this is
the sort of structure required and contemplated.
(2) A fixed altar, employing the term "fixed"
in a less restricted sense. It consists of an un-
consecrated structure, stable and fixed, and of a
movable consecrated altar stone which is inserted in
its upper surface and may be removed from it with-
out impairing its fixity.
(3) A portable altar
called also a Viaticum.
The designation applies
either to the entire struc-
ture, movable from place
to place, or only to the
consecrated stone which
is placed in or on its table.
*
*
*
*
□
*
PORTABLE ALTAR
The Requisites of the Mass 311
What is the rule determining the celebration
of Mass on a Portable Altar?
If erected in a holy place, like church or chapel,
the privilege belongs to every priest competent to
say Mass. This designation of place does not in-
clude the private cells of a monastery, nor, very
probably, any room not connected with the
monastic chapel or sacristy.
Bishops by an inherent and ordinary right may
for just cause say Mass in any becoming place on
a consecrated stone.
By special permission of the Holy See, the same
privilege is given to priests of offering Mass on a por-
table altar in an unblessed and unconsecrated place.
How does an Altar forfeit its consecration?
A canonically fixed altar is desecrated by a
notable fracture of the table or of the supports.
A fracture is notable by its extent and location.
If the table were broken into two or more large
pieces; if one of the columns which support the
table at the angles were removed; if several stones
were displaced from the substructure destroying
the moral identity of the support; if there be a
slight breakage of the stone, where the unction
was made at its consecration, in each instance the
fracture would be notable and deconsecrating.
The same result follows if for any reason the
table were removed from the support, or only
raised from its base even to renew the cement,
312 The Mass and Vestments
and also by the removal of the relics, or by the
fracture or removal by chance or design of the
small stone slab or cover placed over the sepulchre.
(2) Other altars are deprived of their consecra-
tion if the altar stone is so badly fractured as to be
unable to hold the chalice and Host. Whether the
dislocation of any of the lateral crosses from the
rest of the altar stone is followed by a similar
result is disputed, with Lemkuhl inclining to the
negative. It is also desecrated by the lack or the
despoiling of the sacred relics, by the fracture of
the sepulchre containing the relics, and by the
breaking of the seal which covers the sepulchre.
If the sepulchre and seal are newly annexed with
plaster of Paris without exposing the relics the
stone does not lose its consecration.
Are the dimensions of an Altar defined?
The dimensions of an altar are not prescribed
either by the rubrics or the Sacred Congregation
of Rites. It should, however, be large enough to
allow a priest conveniently to celebrate Mass upon
it and observe all the ceremonies decorously. An
altar for solemn services should be larger than
other altars. St. Charles Borromeo, however, in
his "Instructions on Ecclesiastical Buildings," says
that the High Altar ought to be from 3 feet 2]/ 2
inches to 3 feet 3% inches high above the level
of the platform or predella on which the cele-
brant stands; 6 feet 10^ inches or more in length
and at least 3 feet 5 % inches wide.
The Requisites of the Mass 313
What is the Sepulchre of an Altar or Altar
stone?
It is a small square or oblong opening in altar
or altar stone in which are deposited the relics of
at least two canonized martyrs. To these may
be added the relics of the other saints, especially
of those in whose honor the church or altar is
consecrated. These relics must be actual portions
of saints' bodies and not merely of their garments
or objects which they used or touched, They
must also be verified as genuine. They are
placed in a case of lead, silver or gold, large
enough to contain in addition to the relics three
grains of incense and a small piece of parchment
on which is written an attest of the consecration.
This parchment is sometimes enclosed in a vessel
of glass to save it from decay. In size it con-
forms to the needs of its contents, being ordinarily
4 inches long, 4 inches wide and 2]/ 2 inches deep.
Where is the Sepulchre or Confession of the
Martyrs located?
The location of the sepulchre is either:
(1) At the back
of the altar mid-
way between i t s
table and foot.
(2) At the front
of the altar in the
same relative po-
sition. ALTAR AND SEPULCHRE
314
The Mass and Vestments
( 3 ) In the table at its centre somewhat towards
the front edge.
(4) In the cen-
tre on the top of
the base or support
if it be solid. Lo-
cation 3 is the most
convenient, but
then a table must
be provided of a thickness of nearly f j four inches
since the cover of
the sepulchre, al-
ways required,
ought to be about
three - quarters of
' an inch thick.
ALTAR AND SEPULCHRE
ALTAR AND SEPULCHRE
Why are the Relics of Martyrs deposited in
Fixed Altars and, in an Altar Stone, or Portable
Altar?
(1) To commemorate the dark ages of the
Church — the age of the Catacombs when the
Holy Sacrifice was
offered on the tombs
of the martyrs.
(2) To respond
to the prayer of
the celebrant, who
kissing the altar in
the beginning of Mass, prays for forgiveness "by
the merits of the saints whose relics here repose."
ALTAR AND SEPULCHRE
The Requisites of the Mass 315
(3) To represent and realize on earth the
vision of St. John in the Heavenly Jerusalem
where, "he saw under the altar the souls of them
that were slain for the word of God and for the
testimony which they held." (Apocalypse, Ch. 6,
v. 9.)
(4) When St. Ambrose discovered the bodies
of the martyrs Gervasius and Protasius he placed
them under the altar and said: "The triumphal
sacrifices are to be placed where the propitiatory
sacrifice of Christ is commemorated. Upon the
altar is He that suffered for us all; beneath the
altar are they who by His sufferings were redeemed
— the martyrs are entitled to this resting place." In
a similar strain thus St. Augustine discourses:
"Rightly do the souls of the just rest beneath the
altar, since on it the Body of Our Lord is im-
molated. Quite properly by reason of a certain
fellowship in suffering, so to speak, do the martyrs
receive burial in the place where the death of the
Lord is daily commemorated."
What is the significance of the Three Grains
of Incense deposited tvith the Relics?
Incense is always suggestive of prayer and
praise, and in this instance, the triple grain is a
symbolic earnest of the intercession of the Divine
Victim and these holy martyrs to the Most Blessed
Trinity in our behalf. The triple grain and also
the incense burned in the anointed crosses may
316 The Mass and Vestments
signify the sweet spices with which the Body of
Christ was embalmed.
What is the antiquity of this custom of en-
tombing Relics and Incense in Altars?
It is ascribed to Pope Felix in the third century.
Were only Relics so deposited?
Garments of the saints, instruments of their
torture, relics of the true Cross, precious docu-
ments, like the alleged authentic letter of the
Blessed Virgin at Messina, Sicily, and the Sacred
Host were also buried in altars. The custom of
enclosing the Blessed Eucharist in altar structures
prevailed in England until the fifteenth century.
May Altars be receptacles for these sacred
objects now?
Altar and altar stones now can only receive
portions of the flesh and bone of martyrs and
confessors, apostles and virgins with the three
grains of incense, and the record of its consecra-
tion, whilst the Sacred Host is peremptorily ex-
cluded, and remains of the true Cross and all
other relics cannot be inserted unless by permis-
sion of the Holy See.
What is the custom of the Eastern Church
with reference to Altars?
Their altars also must be constructed of stone.
In the absence of an altar they are, however, per-
The Requisites of the Mass 317
mitted to celebrate Mass on a leaf of the gospel
and on certain cloths called Antimens, (anti,
instead of, and mensa, a table or altar). They
are usually silken and sometimes linen like our
corporals. They measure about sixteen inches
square and have the date of their consecration, the
name of the consecrator and a representation of
the burial of Our Lord worked into or stamped
upon them. They are consecrated by a bishop
with holy oil, incense and pulverized relics com-
bined, and after Mass has been offered on them
seven times they are said to be hallowed. The
Syrians arbitrarily may employ slabs of wood
called Mensae, instead of altars.
What is the rule relative to Altar Canopies
in Roman Churches?
The Ceremonial of Bishops directs that a canopy
or baldachin be suspended over altars, expansive
enough to protect altar and platform where the
celebrant stands from dust and any foreign body
falling from the ceiling. It may be attached to
the wall or reredos and hung from the ceiling.
In Rome it is usually a stationary structure of
marble, metal or wood, highly decorated and
raised on four columns. It is also called a
ciborium because the ciborium or pyx containing
the Eucharist was suspended from it.
What is peculiar about Papal Altars?
The primitive shape of altars approximated a
318 The Mass and Vestments
table set up on a platform, without tabernacle and
altar steps, such as we now employ for candle-
sticks and ornaments. Instead of standing against
the wall of the apse, it stood well forward leaving
a goodly space about it, and the celebrant took
his position on the reverse side of it, and looked
across it out toward the people and the portals of
the church, which very frequently fronted the
East. This antique arrangement is still exempli-
fied in the papal altars in the Roman Basilicas,
and particularly in St. Peter's, where the Pope
when he offers Mass looks (simultaneously) at the
people, the church entrance and the East.
How does the Pope Celebrate Mass at this
Altar?
The Papal Mass of the present day contains
many customs of the earlier Liturgy. This great
ceremony takes place on Easter, Christmas and
St. Peter's day, June 29. The deacon and sub-
deacon at this Mass are both Cardinals.
The Epistle and Gospel are read in both Latin
and Greek. The Pope elevates the Host at the
centre and toward each side of the altar. The
Cardinal deacon of the gospel makes a second
"ostention," elevating first the Host and then the
chalice.
The Pope returns to the throne after the Lord's
prayer and "Pax Domini," and the deacon brings
the Host to him, the Pope kneeling while the
The Requisites of the Mass 319
deacon comes from the altar to the throne, but
rising to receive holy Communion.
There have been many discussions concerning
the Communion of the throne, and as far back as
Innocent III we find in this Pope's writing: "The
Roman Pontiff does not communicate where he
breaks"— that is, where he breaks the Host in the
Mass— "he breaks at the altar, but communicates
at his seat; the reason for this being that Christ
broke the bread before the disciples at Emmaus
but ate before the twelve apostles at Jerusalem."
St. Bonaventure writes that this rite may ex-
press the Passion of our Lord, who suffered
exposed to the general view, with every one pass-
ing around Him. It is certain that the deacon
bringing the Eucharist to the Pope is a very
ancient ceremony, coming down from the days
when the saying of Mass was in every way — in act
and signification — made a united and a common
action, and when the bishop did not perform all
the Liturgy at the altar, as the celebrant of the
Mass of the present day does.
At the Elevation in the Pope's Mass no bell is
rung. The ancient rubric directed that the bell at
Consecration should be rung at a low Mass but
not at a High Mass, when it is easier to follow the
action of the celebrant. This explains how the
clear-toned silver trumpets came into use. These
trumpets are sounded from within the dome of
320 The Mass and Vestments
St. Peter's at the Consecration during the Pope's
Mass, a sound which has been seldom heard since
the eventful year of 1870.
The Pax is given at the usual place by the
Pope to the Cardinal bishop (who as assistant
priest represented the archbishop of Rome of olden
times) then the two assistant Cardinal deacons,
keeping the kiss of peace for the Cardinal deacon
of the gospel until after Communion. On other
occasions in his low Mass in our times the Pope
kisses the instrument called the pax, introduced
in later times. In other ways the Pope's low
Mass does not differ from that of any other
bishop.
What is the modern construction of Altars?
They are furnished with steps for candlesticks
and ornaments, and with a small enclosed struc-
ture midway for the reservation and custody of
the Blessed Sacrament.
What is this structure called?
It is called a Tabernacle.
Whence the name Tabernacle?
From the Latin word taberna (hut or inn).
What is the object of the Tabernacle?
To guard and hold the consecrated Hosts con-
tained in their sacred repositories, such as ciborium,
pyx or luna for the Ostensorium, Benediction,
Viaticum and Communion of the faithful.
The Requisites of the Mass 321
ALTAR AND TABERNACLE
May then the Blessed Eucharist be kept in
every Tabernacle?
No. Only (1) in that of every cathedral and
parish church.
(2) In chapels of religious communities whose
members take solemn vows.
(3) By special Apostolic and Episcopal permis-
sion in other churches, oratories, public and
private chapels. In the United States the facul-
ties of the bishop fix the limits of this permission
and the frequency of the Mass celebration as a
condition for its enjoyment.
322 The Mass and Vestments
Is it allowable to keep the Sacred Host in
more than one Tabernacle in the same church?
It is to be kept on one altar and in one taber-
nacle only in each church. This is to be, ordinarily,
the tabernacle on the high altar in parish and other
churches. It may be temporarily transferred to
another altar for Communion and Benediction,
and during the months of May and June for the
convenience of May and June devotions. In
cathedrals and very large parish churches, it may
be permanently placed in side chapels so as not to
interfere with pontifical and other solemn cere-
monies.
How would it interfere with these cere-
monies?
Such ceremonies at best are very complicated.
Facility and simplicity of movement is most de-
sirable. In the absence of the Blessed Sacrament
a mere inclination of the head is sufficient recog-
nition of the crucifix as the officiating ministers
move to and fro. If the Blessed Sacrament is in
the tabernacle the reverence must assume a genu-
flexion, and movement would be restrained more
or less out of deference to the presence of God on
the altar.
Has the Sacred Host been always kept in a
Tabernacle in a church or chapel?
Not alwavs, because the tabernacle with which we
are familiar is comparatively a modern construction.
The Requisites of the Mass 323
How was the Sacred Host Reserved in
Primitive Times?
"Because," according to St. Cyprian, "the Holy
Eucharist is a food unto salvation," there has
always prevailed the custom of reserving the
Blessed Sacrament for the sick and well in some
form. In the time of persecution, the first chris-
tains kept the Eucharist at home and gave Com-
munion to themselves. According to a Lapide,
Mary, Queen of Scots, was vouchsafed this same
privilege during her long prison life. It was also
sent from bishop to bishop as a sign of Christian
comity. It was also carried by lay persons as a
protection against danger, a custom which must
have continued well into the Middle ages, as St.
Thomas a Becket carried the Eucharist with him
when he went to meet Henry II, and by permis-
sion of the Papal Legate, St. Louis was similarly
privileged on his Crusades. Not only was the
Host given the dead, but it was also buried with
the dead, as in the case of St. Benedict and St.
Basil. The pen was sometimes dipped in the Con-
secrated wine in subscribing decrees of Councils,
and in the instance of Pope Theodore when he
condemned the heresiarch, Pyrrhus. When Pope
Urban II dedicated the abbey church of Marmou-
tier, he deposited three portions of the Host in the
altar and sealed them with cement. All these
abnormal uses of the Blessed Sacrament have long
since been abrogated by Papal and conciliar decrees.
324 The Mass and Vestments
What is the Oldest Form of a Place for
Reserving the Blessed Sacrament?
In a chamber at the side of the church corres-
ponding to our Sacristy, and called therefrom,
Thalamus (chamber or inner-room). Later it
was kept in an ambry set up in a corner of the
church, or on a column, such as we now have for
the holy oils. The oldest tabernacle had the form
of a detached tower, placed in a side chapel or
near the gospel side of the high altar. Constan-
tine gave one of gold and jewels to St. Peter's,
Rome, and Innocent I and Hilary I also gave
tower-tabernacles to St. John Lr.teran and the
church of St. Gervase and Protase of the same
city. This tower form was subsequently suc-
ceeded by tabernacles in the shape of a covered
cup, a small box, and a dove suspended above or
behind the altar. This latter tabernacle may yet
be seen in France and Spain. As a rule, the place
of the Eucharistic reservation is accessible in every
church for purposes of prayer and worship. In
the cathedral of Terceira, one of the Azores, the
Host is, however, kept in a tabernacle of solid
silver in a deeply recessed chapel, the entrance to
which is closed by locked doors.
What is the explanation of this form of Re-
servation as compared with more modern
methods?
The solution is to be sought in the gradual
The Requisites of the Mass 325
development of a specific devotional feeling
toward the Blessed Sacrament which culminated
in these later days in the union of altar and
tabernacle, sacrifice and sacrament, which in primi-
tive times and many centuries after were entirely
distinct from one another.
In the early and Middle ages the idea connected
with the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament was
not, as now, that of worship, but of viaticum.
Devotion to the Real Presence then found its full
response in the sacrifice of the altar. The Divine
Victim was adored as truly present, but present
to be sacrificed. In the tabernacle, as it then was,
the precious remnants of the sacrifice were re-
served for the sick unable to be present. To pro-
vide for other communicants, who, at most,
approached the altar four or five times a year
and on certain great festivals, the parish priests,
knowing the number of communicants, conse-
crated the required number of Particles in the Mass.
After the Reformation and toward the end of
the sixteenth century, the Church encouraged
frequent Communion as an antidote to the attacks
of heresy and as nourishing faith and fervor.
This practice of frequent communion at uncer-
tain times emphasized the inconvenience of a
tabernacle separate from the altar, and led to the
adoption of a receptacle immediately upon the
altar itself in order that sufficient Hosts might be
at hand to give to the faithful.
326 The Mass and Vestments
In the Middle Ages hoiv was the Host re-
served?
Before the construction of the tabernacle, as we
know it, the following were the methods of re-
servation:
(1) On the Gospel side of the altar, rarely on
that of the Epistle, and sometimes on the east
wall of the sanctuary behind the altar, a small
cupboard or recess, closed with strong doors or an
iron grille, called Ambry (armarium or arma-
riolum — the chest in a Roman house for food,
clothing, money, etc. )
(2) A pyx hung by chains or silken cords from
the altar canopy covering the altar of large
churches, or from a roof beam in smaller ones,
having its own little cone-shaped canopy of silk or
cloth of gold usually surmounted by a crown of
gold or silver, and sometimes a triple crown. This
manner of reservation had very probably a Byzan-
tine origin introduced into France and Spain in
the sixth or seventh centuries, and afterwards
into England, although Italy never favored it.
( 3 ) Sacramenthausen in Germany ( Sacrament
house), also in Scotland of a simpler form, was an
elaborated detached structure standing near the
wall, rising high, with pinnacles and crockets and
roof like a church tower adorned with figures of
angels and saints and emblems of the Blessed
Sacrament and of the Passion.
The Requisites of the Mass 327
(4) Under the altar. Thus the statutes of
Liege in 1287 directed that "the Lord's Body
should be zealously guarded under lock and key,
either in some becoming place beneath the altar,
or in the "Armarium"— -or wall ambry. In
Notre Dame, Paris, the Host with the vestments
was placed in a cupboard, called the conditoire,
under a small altar behind the high altar.
(5) In some parts of France the Blessed Sacra-
ment was kept in a small portable casket, which
was placed on the altar during Mass and then re-
moved. This practice never received Episcopal
approval and the safer ambry was recommended.
(6) With the dawn of the Reformation and the
outbreak of violence directed against the altar and
receptacles of the Sacred Host as vestiges of an
idolatrous age, more secure methods were intro-
duced for the custody of the Blessed Sacrament.
As forecasting the coming day, the Provincial
Synods of Canterbury (1280-81) under Archbishop
Peckham, direct that "a tabernacle be constructed
in each parish church with lock and key," (cum
clausura), and the Synod of Exeter (1287) pre-
scribes for each parish church "an immovable
stone receptacle for the Sacrament," {Sacramen-
tarium lavideum et immobile) , whilst the Coun-
cil of Lateran (1215) fixed the norm of care by
decreeing that the Blessed Sacrament was always
to be kept under lock and key for fear of sacrilege.
The unsafety and inconvenience of the suspended
328 The Mass and Vestments
pyx, and the dampness of the recessed ambry
begot in time the ornate, isolated Sacrament
House, which was eventually supplanted by the
modern tabernacle as an altar adjunct, because of
the awakened desire of the people for more fre-
quent Communion.
What is the position oj the Modern Taber-
nacle?
It should be firmly and permanently fixed to the
base of the altar, to the rear, and flanked with the
altar steps (for candlesticks). It should be at least
2 feet ?>y 2 inches from the front edge of the altar
to give sufficient space to the corporal and the
chalice and ciborium in the sacrifice of the Mass.
It should not be so far removed from the front as
to demand a special step for the priest when he
wishes to take out the Blessed Sacrament.
What is the material of the Tabernacle?
Precious metal, marble or wood, always more or
less decorated. When constructed of metal or
marble it must have a lining of wood to prevent
dampness.
What is its form?
The form is optional. It may therefore be
eight or six-sided, square or round, and of any
form of architecture to suit the altar or church.
The size will depend upon its needs and the pro-
The Requisites of the Mass 329
portions of altar and church. Although the rub-
rics are silent on the revolving tabernacle, yet it
does not seem to conform to liturgical propriety
and it has never been tolerated in Rome. The
same is true of the bi-lateral or double compart-
mented-tabernacle, one of which serves the
ordinary uses of a tabernacle, and the other is
furnished with a revolving contrivance for the
carriage of the ostensorium at the time of Ex-
position.
What of the decorations of the Tabernacle?
Only the altar crucifix is allowed, and this with
limitations, to stand on the tabernacle. Not only
is it forbidden to place reliquaries, statues, pic-
tures, flowers, etc. on the tabernacle, but also in
front of the tabernacle door to conceal the door
thereof.
The inside of the tabernacle should have over
the wooden lining a covering of cloth of gold,
white silk, or linen. To exclude dust, an inside
curtain of white silk in the door space is recom-
mended, though not prescribed. A corporal is
spread over the bottom. Only the Blessed Sacra-
ment and the sacred vessels containing it, or not
as yet purified, can be placed in it. It is to be
securely fastened with lock and key. There
should be two keys of silver, or of iron gilded or
silvered. These are never to be left in the taber-
330 The Mass and Vestments
nacle door, nor in any open place, but, whether of
church or chapel tabernacle, the key is to be
always under the personal custody of the priest.
When the Blessed Sacrament is removed, the
tabernacle door should be left ajar and the light
extinguished lest the people be led into error con-
cerning the Real Presence.
Should the Tabernacle be Blessed?
Its blessing is not mandatory, as the blessing of
the ritual seems rather intended for the ciborium
and pyx. It is, however, commendable to bless it
with the same form, which may be done by any
priest who has the requisite faculty.
What are the Tabernacle Adjuncts or
Appur tenances ?
Three. The Canopy, Tabernacle Lamp and
Throne of Exposition or Thabor.
What is the Canopy?
It is that tent-like mantle made of precious
material, like silk, brocade, cloth of gold, etc.,
which is sometimes used to cover the tabernacle,
and, dividing in the front shows the tabernacle
door. It is not in general use, nor is it of obliga-
tion.
What is the Tabernacle Lamp?
The Requisites of the Mass
331
It is the lamp which must
continually burn, night and
day, before the tabernacle
in honor of the Blessed Sac-
rament whilst it is there
present. It may hang either
by a chain from the ceiling
in front of the tabernacle,
or from brackets on the side,
if these brackets are in
the sanctuary and not be-
hind the tabernacle. The
Ceremonial of bishops re-
commends that if there be
more than one lamp, the
number should be uneven,
like three or five.
What Kind of Oil must
be Burned in these Lamps?
Olive oil is prescribed. Oil
containing between 60 and
65 per cent of pure olive oil is supposed to be
legitimate. Where olive oil is not procurable the
bishops may allow other oils, as far as possible,
vegetable, and also beeswax, in the same propor-
tion as the rubrics prescribe for the candles at
Mass. Where neither olive oil nor vegetable
oil can be procured, the bishop, according to the
opinion of theologians, would be justified in per-
SANCTL'ARY LAMP
332
The Mass and Vestments
mitting the use of kerosene. Gas and electricity
are forbidden as substitutes for oil and candles.
What is a Throne of Exposition or Thabor?
An ornamental elevation usually of metal, on
which the Blessed Sacrament is placed when
exposed in the os-
tensorium. There
is no need of a
Thabor when the
altar has a canopy
over its tabernacle,
where the Exposi-
tion is made. The Thabor should have a
canopy under which the ostensorium is placed.
(Decree of April 23, 1875, S. R. C.) Hence the
ordinary Thabors constructed without canopies
are unrubrical. Its use should be reserved exclu-
sively for the Blessed Sacrament.
THABOR
CHAPTER XXII.
PRIVILEGED ALTAR.
What is a Privileged Altar?
An altar to which is attached a plenary indul-
gence applicable to the souls in Purgatory.
Who has the Authority to enrich an Altar
with this Privilege?
Primarily, the Holy See. Secondarily, with us
the bishops exercising a power delegated to them
by the Holy See have, ordinarily, the power of
granting a local privileged altar to any church or
chapel where parochial functions are performed.
To whom does this privilege apply?
To every priest, secular or religious, who law-
fully says Mass according to the rubrics on the
aforementioned altar.
Is this Episcopal Power limited by any con-
dition?
It cannot be exercised except in a church or
chapel where there is no other altar of the same
kind.
How is this condition interpreted?
It is understood as designating an altar identi-
cally privileged for the same class of persons.
334 The Mass and Vestments
May there be more than one Privileged Altar
in the same Church?
There cannot be two altars privileged in the
same terms. There may be, however, one privi-
leged altar for the deceased members of a religious
society, like the Holy Family or Living Rosary,
and another for the faithful departed generally,
without restriction to this or that class.
Does not one Privilege nullify the other in
this case?
The Sacred Congregation of Indulgences (May
21, 1742) answered in the negative, because the
altars are not similarly privileged.
Is there any time limit affixed to a Privileged
Altar?
Some are privileged for All Souls and the Forty
Hours devotion, others for seven years, and others
in perpetuity.
Can the limited privilege be interchanged
for the perpetual one?
If the petitioner neglects to mention the exist-
ence of an altar already temporarily privileged, the
grant of a perpetual privilege is invalid. If it is
mentioned with the date of expiration, the tem-
porary privilege is supposed to be annulled by the
perpetual privilege; otherwise, two similarly privi-
leged altars would exist in the church at the
same time.
Privileged Altar 335
When did the custom of privileging Altars
originate?
The date is uncertain. Some attribute it to St.
Gregory the Great at the end of the sixth century;
others, like Bellarmine and Biel, to Paschal I (817-
824). This Pope built the church of St. Praxedes
and as one of its chapels was said to contain the
pillar of Scourging, its altar was privileged in
honor of this memorial of the Passion. It is in-
disputable that Gregory XIII (1572-1585) did
privilege the altar of St. Nicholas in the church of
St. Augustine at Bergamo, and because of this,
Thiers taught that the practice began with this
pontiff. This statement, however, cannot be true
because there is extant a decree of his predecessor,
Julius II in 1552, granting the same favor, and
Gregory XIII in the Indult enriching the cathedral
of Narni with a privileged altar mentions that the
church of St. Gregory at Rome was already in the
enjoyment of the same prerogative.
How is the Privilege divided?
It is local and personal; local, when attached to
a particular altar; personal, when granted to the
priest himself without reference to the altar.
What is required in the Altar before it can
be Privileged?
It must be a fixture, not fixed in the liturgical
sense. A fixed altar is one whose slab or table
336 The Mass and Vestments
and base, always stone, are permanently united
and the line of juncture annointed to signify that
they together constitute the altar. A fixture
means a structure of stone or wood of a perma-
nent kind, visible in most of our churches, and
commonly called the altar. Because it is a
fixture, it is differentiated from a temporary altar
which is erected for a particular feast, or occasion,
or for a transient season of devotion.
In this case, is the Privilege given the Altar
or the stone?
It is given the altar. Therefore, the privilege
is not forfeited if the altar stone be removed and
another inserted, or if the same stone be used on
different altars.
7s the Privilege ever attached to an Altar
Stone?
The altar stone is known as a portable altar.
To it may be annexed the privilege by special
Indult. To make the grant valid, special mention
of a portable altar must be made in the petition,
although not in the answer.
What is the Official Interpretation of the
term "Fixture" as it affects the permanency
of the Privilege?
It does not so attach that if the structure were
damaged or totally destroyed, or even another
Privileged Altar 337
altar substituted for it, the privilege would neces-
sarily be forfeited.
If the privilege is granted to an altar because
of a special title, or as dedicated to some mystery
or saint, as, for example, the Sacred Heart or
Blessed Virgin or St. Aloysius, this title is recorded
in the Indult and the privilege is lost when the
title is changed.
If the privilege is given to an altar because it
possesses a statue or a picture of special devotion
mentioned in the Indult, it lapses with the destruc-
tion or removal of this possession.
If the privilege endows a high altar specifically,
it is lost by any alteration which degrades the
high altar to a secondary and inferior rank.
Therefore, a mere change in the altar does not
necessitate a loss of the privilege. A new altar
may be substituted for the old, differing from it
in material, shape and dimensions; it may even
have a new situs in the church and yet retain its
privilege. The same tenacity of privilege holds
in the case of a new church and new altar if it
occupy the place of a former one. A difference of
locality, or a transfer of the altar to another
church, however, carries with it a forfeiture of
the privilege.
What are the conditions necessary to obtain
the Plenary Indulgence of a Privileged Altar?
(1) A Mass of requiem must be said when
338 The Mass and Vestments
permitted by the rubrics. When not allowed, the
Mass of the day will suffice.
(2) The indulgence and the application of the
Mass being identical, the indulgence must be
given to the soul for whom the Mass is offered.
(3) The indulgence and Mass must be applied
to one soul only, even on the feast of All
Souls.
(4) Other indulgences, e. g. a plenary by his
Communion, obtained by the celebrant on a privi-
leged altar, are his personal asset to be applied
where he listeth.
(5) These other indulgences, even plenary,
cannot be substituted for the failure to obtain the
indulgence of the privileged altar.
What is the Special Fruit of a Mass on a
Privileged Altar?
A plenary indulgence applicable to a soul in
Purgatory.
What is a Plenary Indulgence?
The liquidation of all the temporal debt due God's
justice because of our sins, or the remission of all
the temporary punishment due our sins after their
forgiveness.
Who declares an Indulgence?
The Holy See for the whole Church, unre-
strictedly, and cardinals, apostolic nuntios, arch-
Privileged Altar 339
bishops and bishops within their respective
jurisdictions, restrictedly.
Whence is the fruit fulness of an Indulgence
derived?
From the "Treasury of the Church," by which
is meant the infinite deposit or collection of the
merits of Christ, the Blessed Virgin and saints,
which suffice to satisfy for all guilt and penalty.
The redemptive efficacy of Christ's life and death
and the penitential value of the works of the
saints, which exceeded their own needs, contribute
the inexhaustible resources of the Church treas-
ury wherein are coined indulgences and from
which, they, as an all-sufficient medium of pay-
ment and absolution from temporal penalties, are
derived.
Can an Indulgence remit sin?
An indulgence can neither be a license to com-
mit sin, nor a forgiveness of it. Neither does it
touch the guilt of sin, nor the eternal penalty due
a mortal sin. Where they are promulgated as
implying a forgiveness of sins and their penalty,
they are either spurious, or the term "sins" must
be taken for the temporal punishment incurred by
the sin. An unforgiven sin is a hindrance to an
indulgence.
How is the term derived?
From an old Latin court word "Indulgentia,"
which juridically meant pardon or amnesty.
340 The Mass and Vestments
What are the conditions to gain an In-
dulgence?
(1) For the living:
(a) That the seeker of the indulgence must
be a subject of the authority granting it.
(b) That he ought to be in a state of grace, at
least when he executes the last condition prescribed
for its gaining.
(c) That he must have an intention of winning
the indulgence.
(d) That he must perform all the conditions of
prayers, alms, visits, etc., ordered by the Church.
(2) For the dead:
(a) The definite announcement of such an
indulgence by the Holy See, which reserves to
itself all such indulgences.
(b) At least an habitual intention of applying
these to the dead.
(c) Whether a state of grace is required in one
who seeks an indulgence for the dead has never
been decided. It is almost certain, however, that
the indulgence of a privileged altar, whether local
or personal, is gained by a celebrant who is not in
the state of grace.
Is this Plenary Indulgence oj a Privileged
Altar infallibly obtained?
It is when all the conditions are observed.
Privileged Altar 341
When is it Plenary?
It is plenary only as it is gained by the celebra-
tion of the Mass.
Is the Indulgence Plenary in its application?
It is not necessarily plenary in its application.
Does the Soul limit its Efficacy?
The soul cannot, because it is confirmed in
grace and has no affection for even venial sin.
Does the Church limit it?
Neither in will nor in resources does the Church
limit it.
Does the Celebrant limit it?
The celebrant complies with all the conditions
and, therefore, does not limit it.
How explain the uncertainty in the measure
of the application of the Indulgence?
It arises from two causes:
(1) The dead are entirely in God's hands, hav-
ing gone from the jurisdiction of the Church,
though not beyond the magic circle of the Com-
munion of saints or the reach of prayers and
Masses.
(2) In the absence of all special revelation, and
such is not to be expected, we know nothing of
the burden of debt which a departing soul
staggers under as it approaches the other world,
342 The Mass and Vestments
nor how often God's grace has been unheeded
and His mercy abused. We know nothing of
the decrees of God's justice as to their severity
or duration in the purging and disciplining [of
such a soul.
How is the Indulgence applied?
It is offered to God by the Church as a plenary
indulgence and its acceptance as such is besought,
but because we are ignorant of God's designs and
purposes in the case of every soul, and all de-
liverance and refreshment must conform to the
laws of His justice, we cannot, therefore, be ab-
solutely sure in what measure God accepts our
tender of a plenary indulgence. All depends on
the good pleasure of God.
What is this mode of application called?
It is called "after the manner of a suffrage."
What does "Suffrage" mean?
Here it signifies according to the medieval
Latinists, alms, aid, or payment.
Hoiv is the personal privilege of a privileged
Altar obtained?
By petition to Rome, and, ipso facto, by virtue
of a religious title and a form of religious heroism.
Who enjoy the personal privilege by the
second method?
Privileged Altar 343
The priests of the Minor Conventuals of St.
Francis when, according to the constitutions of
their Order, they offer Mass for a deceased Pope,
cardinal protector, king, superiors, associates
and their parents. The personal privilege of a
privileged altar every day is also, ipso facto,
shared by a priest who has made the heroic act,
i. e. resolved to offer by the hands of the Blessed
Virgin all the expiatory merits of his good works,
and shall say, when allowed, his Masses for the
dead and use black vestments.
Is there any other form of privileged Altar?
There is the Gregorian altar, and altars with a
similar privilege variously erected by permission
of the Pope and called Gregorian altars ad instar,
or similar to.
What is the type of the Gregorian Altar?
It is an altar in the church of St. Gregory on
the Coelian hill, Rome, which according to tra-
dition is so exceptionally privileged that a Mass
celebrated on it will surely liberate the soul from
Purgatory for whom offered. This confidence is
even declared "pious and approved" by the Sacred
Congregation of Indulgences (March 15, 1884).
The same Congregation also approved of thirty
Masses to be said on consecutive days on this altar
after the example of St. Gregory, with the almost
certain hope that they, through the intercession
344 The Mass and Vestments
of the saint, would issue in eternal rest for the
soul. Whilst mention of the Masses is found in
his Dialogues, the certain efficacy of the Masses
has never been decided by the Church and is more
a pious belief than an authorized doctrine.
Bibliography: American Eccles- Review, March, 1889;
Irish Eccles. Record, 1881, p. 362; Waplehorst, 4th. Ed.
Benzigers, 1892, no. 35; Noldin, S. J., Theologia Moralis,
1904; Catholic Dictionary (Addis & Arnold) 1884, p. 440;
Genicot, S. J., Theologia Moralis, 1900, vol. II.
CHAPTER XXIII.
ALTAR CLOTHS, ANTEPENDIUM, CERE-CLOTH,
VESPERAL.
How many Altar Cloths are there?
Strictly speaking the term applies only to the
triple cloth covering the table of the altar. There
are besides, the antependium, the cere-cloth or
chrismal, the vesperal, and, until the eleventh cen-
tury, the corporal, which prior to that date covered
the entire table of the altar above the triple cover-
ing, and since then has been gradually shrinking
into the proportions it has now.
What is the material of the 7 rivle Altar
Cloth?
It must be made of linen or hemp. No other
material is allowed, even though it may equal or
surpass the linen for whiteness, cleanliness and
firmness. (Decree of May 15, 1819).
Do they require a blessing?
They must be blessed by the bishop or one hav-
ing the necessary power. In the United States
this power is granted by bishops to priests in
general. Mass may be offered licitly only on an
altar which is covered with three altar cloths
already blessed.
346 The Mass and Vestments
What is the number of these cloths and their
dimensions?
They must be three. The two lower cloths
must cover the entire table of the altar, whether
it be a portable or consecrated fixed altar. They
need not however be distinct pieces. One cloth
turned back on itself and made to cover the altar
twice, from the Epistle to the Gospel end, will
suffice. The top cloth must be single and reach
to the foot of the altar on both ends. The front
edge overlapping the altar, and the two extremi-
ties may be ornamented with lace or embroidery
in colors.
Why are three cloths appointed?
In honor of the Most Blessed Trinity, according
to Gavantus.
When is the earliest mention oj them?
In the fourth century, at which time they were
not spread on the altar until after the exclusion
of the catechumens, or before the Offertory of the
Mass.
What is the real and symbolic significancy
of these Altar Cloths?
Their real use is to secure the cleanliness of the
altar and to absorb the Sacred Species, if by any
accident the chalice were overturned. Symboli-
cally, as the altar represents Christ, they are a
figure of the faithful christians by whom the
Altar Cloths 347
Lord is surrounded, as if by precious garments.
They also typify the linen wrappings in which
the body of Christ was enveloped in the tomb, and
the material hemp out of which they are woven
bespeaks the purity and piety of the devout at-
tendants at the sacrifice. The ceremony of Holy
Thursday, when the altar is stripped of its cover-
ings and ornaments, suggests also that those linens
represent the garments of the Saviour of which
He was denuded in His Passion.
§ 1. — ANTEPENDIUM.
What is the Antependium or Pallium?
The antependium is an appendage which covers
the entire front of the altar, from the lower part
of the table to the platform, and from the Gospel
corner to that of the Epistle. If the altar is so
placed that its back can be seen by the people, it
should likewise be covered by an antependium.
What is the Material of the Antependium?
The material is not prescribed by the rubrics.
It is usually made of the same material as the
sacred vestments. The Ceremonial of bishops
recommends that for the solemn festivals more
precious and elaborate antependia be used — of
gold and silver cloth, embroidered silk, etc.
What is the Color oj the Antependium?
The Missal directs that, so far as possible, the
348 The Mass and Vestments
antependium should correspond in color with the
feast or office of the day. The exceptions are:
when the Blessed Sacrament is publicly exposed
the antependium must be white, whatever may be
the color of the vestments; in a solemn or chanted
requiem Mass at an altar, in the tabernacle of
which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved, a violet
instead of a black antependium must be used.
What is the Liturgical Ornamentation of an
Antependium?
Pictures of Christ or some facts in His life;
emblems of the Blessed Sacrament such as a peli-
can, chalice, host and lamb; representations of the
saint in whose honor the church and altar are
dedicated to God, and emblems referring to such
saint. A skull, cross-bones, etc. are barred from
portraiture on a black antependium. The same
prohibition in reference to antipendia of other
colors applies to anatomical representations of
the Sacred Heart of our Lord and of the Mater
Dolorosa, apart from the person of Christ and His
Blessed Mother.
How is the Antependium attached to the
Altar?
By hooks or buttons inserted under the table of
the altar, or it may be pinned to one of the lower
altar cloths. It is also sometimes stretched on a
light wooden frame and fitted tightly under the
altar table. To protect it from injury, a wooden or
Altar Cloths 349
metal guard about three inches wide is placed at its
lower extremity, resting on the platform of the altar.
Is the use of an Antependium always neces-
sary?
Assuming that the antependium is intended as
an ornament, if the altar is of stone, marble or
decorated wood and the table supported by
columns more or less artistic, the ornamental
character of the altar is already secured and the
antependium may be dispensed with. Neverthe-
less, on solemn festivals, and in the Advent and
Lent the appropriate antependium would be a fit-
ting adjunct of the services.
Must the Antependium be blessed?
There is no blessing prescribed for the ante-
pendium.
§ 2.— THE CERE-CLOTH.
How does the Cere-Cloth derive its name?
From cera (wax) because it is waxed on one
side.
Is it known by any other name?
It is also called a chrismal, because it covers and
protects an altar anointed by holy chrism.
What is its use?
It is used to cover the table of a consecrated, fixed
altar by turning the waxed side toward it in such
manner that it shall be completely covered by it.
350 The Mass and Vestments
Why is it thus employed?
Its purpose is to prevent the altar cloths from
being stained by the sacred oils used in the conse-
cration, and to intercept the humidity or damp-
ness which may form on the cold surface of the
stone table of the altar. It is therefore placed
under the altar cloths and next to the altar.
Whilst it is an auxiliary to the triple altar cloth, it
is never to be substituted for one of the three
necessary coverings of the altar.
What is its material?
It must be a white linen cloth reinforced by a
covering of melted wax on one side.
Is it ever removed?
It is to remain the permanent shield on the
altar against oil stain and dampness, and although
it may be removed temporarily at the stripping of
the altar on Holy Thursday and whenever the
altar is washed, it must be replaced again under
the three altar cloths and upon the altar table
with its waxed surface next to the table.
Is it ever blessed?
The chrismal is not blessed.
§ 3. — ALTAR COVER.
What is the Liturgical name oj this Altar
Cover?
It is called a vesperal.
Altar Cloths 351
Why is it called Vesperal?
From Vespera (even-tide, or evening) because
it is only used after all the sacred functions are
finished, and as these occupy the day hours, this
extra covering is employed towards evening and
during the night. The name, however, must not
be too rigidly interpreted, as according to the
general practice, altar services may conclude in the
morning hours and be resumed again in the after-
noon and night. The rule is, in the intervening
time between these functions, the altar is to be
protected by the vesperal.
Why is the Vesperal used?
To save the altar cloth from stain and soil.
What is its Material?
Linen, silk, wool, satin, velvet or velveteen.
What are its Size and Color?
It should be wider and longer than the altar to
secure ample protection for the altar linens. The
color is entirely optional. St. Charles Borromeo,
however, expressed a preference for green. The
front edge and extremities may be embroidered,
or ornamented with fringes. It is not blessed.
When the altar is in use for some sacred function,
the vesperal must be entirely withdrawn and not
merely folded back on the altar. (Decree, June 2,
1883).
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE CHALICE AND PATEN.
What is the Chalice?
The chalice is the Eucharistic cup in which the
wine is consecrated in the Mass. In primitive
times it was also the communion cup from which
the laity received the Most Precious Blood when
Communion under both species was allowed.
By what Name is it known in Romantic
Poetry?
The Holy Grail.
How is the name derived?
From Sang real (real, royal, true blood).
Specifically, what is meant by the Holy
Grail?
Either the Most Precious Blood of Christ col-
lected at the Crucifixion and preserved in an
emerald cup, or the cup used at the Last Supper
and alleged to have been brought to England by
Joseph of Aramathea. With a delicate consistency
does christian tradition entrust the Holy Grail to
the custody of Joseph of Aramathea, for it was
he who "buying fine linen wrapped Him up in it
and laid Him in a new sepulchre, wherein never
yet any man had been laid."
The Chalice and Paten 353
In the Middle Ages where was the Holy
Grail much sought for?
In the fantastic, weird mountain range of
Monserrat in Spain.
Is it claimed now as the possession of any
place or Church?
The church of St. Lorenzo in Genoa, and
Valentia in Spain claim its possession.
What is the Value of these Claims and the
whole Episode of the Holy Grail?
Genoa and Valentia very probably possess very
ancient chalices, but the "quest of the Holy Grail"
is a pious romance, and any alleged title to its
possession historically defective.
Is the Material of the Chalice of the Last
Supper known?
It is not known with certainty. Tradition is
divided between crystal and glass, agate and
silver. Its shape was that of an amphora or
goblet, or loving cup with handles on both sides,
and its capacity that of a sextary, or about one
pint and a half.
What was the Material oj Ancient Chalices?
Gold, silver, onyx, sardonyx, chrysolite, marble,
stone, glass, wood, horn, ivory and pewter. The
witticism of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr:
"Formerly golden priests used wooden chalices;
354 The Mass and Vestments
now wooden priests use gold chalices," has also an
historical value as indicating the usage. Gasparri,
however, (De Sanct. Eucharistia, p. 79) ventures
a doubt whether wooden, marble and horn chalices
were ever legitimate and suggests their use was
always an abuse and only sporadic. Cardinal Bona
cites certain councils in which the use of these
chalices is severely censured. The testimony of
relics and frescoes confirms the opinion that glass
chalices were often in use in the catacombs.
How many kinds of Chalices were in vogue
in the Ancient Church?
Three — Offertorial, Ministerial and Baptismal.
The Offertorial chalice was the Mass-chalice used
only by the celebrant in which the wine was con-
secrated. It had also its own paten, both very
much larger than in a later day.
The Ministerial chalice was employed in dis-
pensing the Precious Blood to lay communicants.
It was called scyphus (cup) and had a paten of
its own and a double handle like a loving cup. It
was the deacon's duty to care for it and give Com-
munion from it. The custom of administering
Holy Communion under both species necessitated
for these chalices unusual dimensions. When the
number of communicants was very great, the
priest used the large ministerial chalice in the
Mass, and mingled with the Precious Blood
ordinary wine in small proportions that the supply
The Chalice and Paten 355
might not run short. In the act of Consecrating
he never, however, used more than one chalice.
The Baptismal chalice contained the milk and
honey given to the newly baptized adults at the
early Easter Mass. Its offering to infants accord-
ing to some authors seems incredible.
How many kinds of Chalices are now in
Vogue?
Only one— the Offertorial.
When did the others go into disuse?
The Baptismal chalice had but a brief existence
in the early Church, and the ministerial began to
wane in the twelfth century, to be wholly sup-
pressed by the Council of Constance (1414).
Why did the Church alter her Discipline re-
garding Lay Communion under both Species?
To discredit and repudiate the error of Huss,
Jerome of Prague, Jacobellus of Misnia and Peter
of Dresden, who publicly censured the Church for
having refused the people Communion under both
kinds, and proclaimed the damnation of all who
received only under one species.
Setting aside the impossibility of reserving the
Holy Eucharist under the species of wine in cer-
tain seasons, the danger of desecration, the
difficulty of a wine supply and the sanitary con-
siderations now broached where the dual Com-
munion is in vogue, the Church has always taught
356 The Mass and Vestments
that Christ is whole and entire under each species
of bread and wine and, therefore, Communion is
complete with either.
Were there any exceptions to this rule for-
bidding Communion under the Form of
Wine?
The kings of France at their coronation and
death received under both species, also the deacon
and sub-deacon of a Papal High Mass, the monks
at Cluny, and the deacon and sub-deacon in the
monastery of St. Denis on special days.
What is the proper material of the Modern
Chalice according to present Church require-
ments?
The general law of the rubrics requires, that,
at least, the cup of the chalice be solid gold or
silver, and if the latter, then its interior where it
comes in contact with the Sacred Species should be
gold gilt, or inaurated. Whilst it is desirable
that the entire chalice be of the same material,
there is no impropriety, nor is permission re-
quired for the use of a chalice whose stem and
base are of a decent, solid and suitable, though
inferior quality.
What are the exceptions to the above custom?
For reasons, the Church allows the use of
chalices made of:
(a) Stannum (not tin, but an alloy of silver
The Chalice and Paten 357
and lead) because impervious to rust, providing
the interior of their cups be gold-gilt.
(b) White metal, with cups ungilt inside,
(decree of June 6, 1847,) at the prayer of the mis-
sionaries in the East Indies, China and adjacent
kingdoms.
(c) Aluminum, combined with other metals
(decree of December 6, 1866) provided the cups
outside be silver-gilt, or electroplated, and inside,
gold-gilt. This decree is omitted from the recent
collection published in 1900, and so its sanction
vanishes. In 1866 the Congregation of Rites for-
bade the consecration of all chalices not conform-
ing to approved regulations.
What are the Reasons jor These Excep-
tions'?
Poverty, necessity, as in an era of persecution,
and a difficulty of procuring the more precious
metals. With their disappearance, chalices of the
approved metals must be used.
Poverty Compelling, is a formal Permission
required for the Use of a Stannum (Silver and
Lead) Chalice?
Gasparri answers in the negative.
Hoiv are Chalices divided as to their Shape?
Into three classes: Gothic, Roman and Renais-
sance.
358
The Mass and Vestments
ROMAN CHALICE
RENAISSANCE CHALICE
GOTHIC CHALICE
The Gothic chalice has a cup fashioned in form
like a tulip, and sometimes oval like the larger
half of an egg. Its handle is longer than in the
Roman chalice, with sharp corners which are also
introduced into the moulding of the knob and
foot, having ordinarily six and eight sides.
The Roman chalice is constructed on perfectly
circular lines in the shape of cup and foot, whilst
the handle generally consists of a short stem
whose centre forms a round knob.
The Renaissance chalice is a more or less grace-
ful blending of the Gothic and Roman. These
three forms of chalices are permissible.
The most practical chalice is that in which the
cup gradually widens towards the lip, without
ending in an abrupt edge. This is the defect of the
Gothic chalice of medieval pattern, and the large
The Chalice and Paten 359
surface over which the contents are distributed
when brought towards the rim, as the chalice is
turned, exposes to great danger of spilling. Like-
wise, if the cup be narrow, as in many Roman
chalices, it will be found that some drops of the
ablutions still remain at the bottom which have
not been touched or absorbed by the purificator.
The knob should be smooth and round and not too
large, as the celebrant must hold the chalice at the
Elevation and Communion between the index and
middle fingers, and the sharp corners of the Gothic
patterns give pain when the chalice has to be
lifted in that position. Safety also demands that
the foot of the chalice be broad and heavy to pre-
clude the danger of overturning. Although not
required by the rubrics, it is desirable to have a
cross engraved or set upon the foot of the chalice
to align the side at which the Sacred Species is
consumed by the celebrant, in order that the
ablutions may be taken from the same part.
Family coats-of-arms and inscriptions of a per-
sonal character cannot be placed on the outer
surface of chalices, but may be engraved at the
bottom.
Hoiv many parts are there to a Chalice?
The rubrics refer to three parts: cup (cuppa);
the handle (nodus); and the foot {pes).
What formerly in general and now with limi-
tations are the accompaniments oj the Chalice?
360 The Mass and Vestments
The fistula (reed, tube) and the cochlear
(spoon). The first was a small tube or hollow
reed of gold, silver, glass or ivory through which
the Precious Blood was communicated to the
people from the large ministerial chalice. When
that custom disappeared, it entered the sanctuary
and began to be used by the assisting bishop and
the sacred ministers. St. Paul's, London, had in
1295, two reeds of silver-gilt. Bishop Leofric of
Exeter donated a "silfren pipe" to its cathedral,
and as late as 1200 the cathedral of Pavia had
reeds of glass. Within a recent date the silver
tube was used in the monastery of Cluny and St.
Denis, Paris, on Sundays and Holydays by the
celebrant and his assistants. It is said the custom
still continues by special Papal indult in the
monastery of St. Denis, near Paris, among the
Benedictines of St. Maur. With this exception, the
practice has entirely vanished, except further in
a solemn Mass offered by the Pope, when he
receives the contents of the chalice through a
reed of gold. His deacon receives in the same
manner, but the sub- deacon directly from the
chalice. In some instances, these reeds were
attached to the chalice, and for purifying them a
long golden needle was employed after they had
first been rinsed with wine and water.
The second instrument is a small gold or silver
spoon to measure the water taken from the cruet
and mixed with the wine at the Offertory of the
The Chalice and Paten 361
Mass. Its purpose is the avoidance of an excessive
admixture of water. Its use is legitimate, though
not obligatory. It is very commonly seen in Spain.
The holy fan (Sacrum Flabellum) was in
use until the sixteenth century, made of gold, sil-
ver, parchment and ostrich feathers, furnished
with a long ivory handle. It was one of the
sacred instruments entrusted to a deacon at his
ordination. It was the duty of one or two
deacons to stand at one or both sides of the cele-
brant, and by the waving of this fan, from the
Offertory to the end of Communion, drive away
flies and other troublesome insects from the priest
and the sacred oblation. It is yet a sacred
auxiliary in the Mass of the Eastern Church.
The strainer (colum) was shaped like a large
spoon, made of silver and perforated with a great
number of small holes through which the wine
was poured into the chalice and thus filtered from
all impurities.
The comb (pecten) was another liturgical im-
plement made of gold, silver and ivory and used
for the purpose of keeping the celebrant's hair in
order during the service. The bishop's hair was
arranged by the deacon and sub-deacon when he
donned his sandals. When the celebrant arose
and doffed his cap the assistant combed his hair.
It is still in evidence in the Eastern Church where
the priests wear a full beard after the manner of
the patriarchs.
362 The Mass and Vestments
Must Chalices be Consecrated before use in
the Mass?
From time immemorial, the custom prevailed
that chalices must be consecrated with appropriate
prayer and unction before their use in the Mass is
lawful.
Will not a bona fide Consecration of the Wine
in an Unblest and Unannointed Chalice Conse-
crate it?
An unconsecrated chalice used even knowingly
by the Pope at his Mass is ipso facto consecrated.
Chalices are frequently given the Papal sacristan
to be blest in this way.
In every other instance, a Mass said with an
unblest chalice does not bless it, nor supersede
its formal consecration, although the efficacy of
the Papal Mass under similar circumstances has
led many liturgists astray as if the Mass were
always all-sufficient.
The Sacred Congregation has, however, often
decided that a chalice consecrated by a person
unlawfully delegated should not be reconsecrated
if Mass with it has followed after. If the error is
discovered before the Mass its reconsecration is
indispensable, unless grave reasons stand in the
way, such as scandal for those who witnessed the
first consecration, etc.
If a bishop or one having the faculty of conse-
crating within the limits of a diocese or congre-
The Chalice and Paten 363
gation exceed those limits, the consecration,
though the act was illicit, is valid and not to be
repeated.
Who has the power oj Consecrating a Chalice?
(a) Bishops in their own dioceses and other
bishops at their request.
(b) Abbots in and for their own monasteries
only by special Papal permission.
(c) Priests only by indult of the Holy See.
The privilege of wearing Episcopal insignia does
not include a faculty of consecrating the chalice.
Bishops may share with priests the faculty of
blessing the sacred vessels which need no unction,
but the annointed and chrismed vessels belong
exclusively to them.
How does a Chalice lose its Consecration?
(a) When the slightest break appears in the
cup near the bottom. It is otherwise if the
fracture is trivial and near the upper edge, per-
mitting the contents to be consecrated without
spilling.
(b) When a very noticeable break appears in
any part, making it unbecoming to use it.
(c) When the cup is wrenched from the stem,
making the intervention of a worker in metals
necessary for their juncture.
(d) If the different parts are held together by
a rod and nut under the base, the breakage of
364 The Mass and Vestments
this rod, or its detaching from the cup would
make a reconsecration of the chalice, perhaps,
necessary.
(e) When it is regilt. A chalice does not lose
its consecration by the wearing of the gilt, for
the reason that the entire chalice is consecrated.
It is however unfitted for its special use of conse-
crating in it, since the rubric requires that it be
gilt on the inside. After being regilt, the celebra-
tion of Mass with this chalice will not supplant
the need of its special consecration.
(/) When it is employed by heretics for any
profane use, e. g., for a drinking cup at table.
The custom of desecrating a chalice or other
vessel by a blow from the hand, or some instru-
ment before giving it to an electro-plater for
regilding is positively forbidden. (Decree of S.
C. R. April 23, 1822.)
Who may Touch the Chalice?
Ordinarily, and apart from special necessity, the
chalice, if consecrated, may not be handled by any
but clerics in major or minor orders.
In some localities even minor orders will not
confer the privilege. If it contains the Precious
Blood, it cannot be touched under pain of mortal
sin by any person, even with a cloth or gloves,
except priests and deacons. The Sacred Congre-
gation of Rites permits the sub-deacon to carry
the chalice, though not purified, from the altar to
The Chalice and Paten
365
the credence table at the first and second Mass of
Christmas.
Permission for lay persons to touch the sacred
vessels must be obtained from the bishop, which
faculty is usually granted through pastors and
religious communities.
The custom in vogue in some places of allowing
the people to kiss the consecrated
paten is an abuse.
What is the Paten or Patin?
A small metal dish shaped
like a saucer, covering the chalice,
on which the bread to be conse-
crated in the Mass is placed at
the Offertory, and which shares
with the corporal the privilege
of carrying the Sacred Host.
How is the name derived?
From the Latin patina and
the French patene (a shallow
dish). The Greeks call it discon (dish or tray).
Was the Paten used by Our Lord at the
Last Supper?
The New Testament is silent as to its use and,
therefore, it is uncertain. The records prove,
however, that it was introduced into the Mass
service at a very early period, The primitive
paten was much larger than the modern.
CHALICE AND PATEN
366 The Mass and Vestments
Why was the Paten larger in the Ancient
Church?
Because it was the substitute for our ciborium
and had to carry the very large Host or loaf
broken up into particles for the Communion of
the people. The word particle is still used, al-
though no longer broken. The Liber Pontificalis
mentions some that weighed twenty-five or thirty
pounds.
Why does the Sub-deacon in a Solemn High
Mass hold the Paten Elevated?
Because of its magnitude it could not remain
on the altar, and it was not decorous to place it
on the credence table or in the sacristv. The
Roman ritual, therefore, consigned it to the sub-
deacon to hold aloft as a signal of approaching
Holy Communion and the need of preparation.
The Church follows the same practice now, al-
though by no means warranted by the abridged
size of the Paten. This ceremony is wanting in
a requiem Mass because until very lately Com-
munion was not given, and, therefore, the large
Paten was not used.
Why is the Paten enveloped in the Veil when
so Elevated?
Because the Old Law forbade Levites to touch
the sacred vessels or bear them about uncovered.
The Chalice and Paten 367
What is the material of the Paten?
The same as that of the cup of the chalice,
with exactly the same requirements as to gilding
and consecration by the bishop.
How does the Paten lose its Consecration?
(a) When it is so broken that it becomes unlit
for use, e. g. if the break be so large that the
particles could fall through it.
(6) When it is so battered that it would be un-
becoming to use it.
(c) When it is re-gilt.
CHAPTER XXV.
CIBORIUM, PYX, OSTENSORIUM, LUNULA,
CUSTODIA.
What is the Ciborium?
The sacred vessel, chalice-
shaped, only wider and shal-
lower in the cup, in which
the smaller Hosts are re-
served and placed in the
Tabernacle for the sick and
the ordinary communicants.
Hoiv is its name derived?
From the Latin cibus (food )
and therefore signifying a
receptacle for food — the food
of Angels.
Was the name otherwise
applied?
The canopy over the High
Altar was also called a ciborium, and before the
introduction of the Tabernacle a chain was sus-
pended from its ceiling to which was attached a
gold or silver hollow dove or other receptacle
for the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament.
What is the Material of the Ciborium?
CIBORIUM
Ciborium, Pyx, Ostensorium, Etc. 369
The Roman ritual merely prescribed that it be
"both solid and becoming." Copper even may
enter into its composition. If made of any
material other than gold the inside of its cup
must be gilt. It cannot be made of wood, glass or
ivory.
What are the Accompaniments of a Cibor-
ium?
A cover, tight-fitting and surmounted by a
cross, and a veil of precious texture, embroidered
in gold and silver, and white in color.
When is this Veil used?
It envelopes the Cib-
orium only when the
Blessed Sacrament is
actually reserved in it.
At all other times its
use is improper. Hence
after purification at
Mass, or when filled
with new particles and
placed on the altar, it
must be without its veil.
Even from the Consecra-
tion to the Communion
it remains uncovered.
It is placed over it just before depositing it in the
Tabernacle after Communion.
CIBORIUM VEIL
370
The Mass and Vestments
In places where the holy Communion is carried
solemnly to the sick a smaller ciborium of the
same style is used.
Whilst actually containing the Sacred Host, the
ciborium must be kept in the Tabernacle under
lock and key, and only removed to give Commun-
ion, or to purify and replenish, or renew at fixed
times.
Is a Ciborium Consecrated?
It is not consecrated, but only blessed by the
bishop or priest having the requisite faculties
according to the formula for the blessing of a
Tabernacle. It may lose its blessing like the
chalice.
What is the Pyx?
A small box, in shape and size
like a watch-case, in which the
Blessed Sacrament is carried to
the sick. When so employed, it
is enclosed in a silken purse, to
which a cord is attached to throw
about the neck.
PYX
How is the name derived?
From the Greek and Latin pyxis (box), the
name also given to a compass-box.
What is its material?
Ciborium, Pyx, Ostensorium, Etc. 371
It may be of the same material as the ciborium,
gilt in its interior, with a slight elevation in the
centre.
Must it be Blessed?
It is to be blessed with the formula for the
blessing of a Tabernacle. It may forfeit its bless-
ing in the same manner as the chalice and
ciborium.
What is the Osten-
sorium?
It is the large sacred
vessel in which the Blessed
Sacrament is exposed at
Benediction and borne in
solemn procession on cer-
tain occasions. It has a
stem akin to a chalice, and
in its centre an aperture
in which the Lunula with
the Blessed Sacrament is
placed.
By what other names
is it known?
It is also known as the Portable Tabernacle,
Ciborium, Melchisedech, in Belgium, Monstrance
and improperly Remonstrance.
How is the name derived?
From the Latin monstro (to show, exhibit).
OSTENSORIUM
372
The Mass and Vestments
What is its origin?
It originated with the institution of the feast
of Corpus Christi, (Pope Urban IV, 1264).
What is the shape of the Ostensorium?
The conventional form, in many varieties, is
that of a disc with encompassing sunbeams, set
upon a pedestal with surmounting cross, which is
of obligation, and the hollow centre for the
Lunula. In the beginning, the Monstrance was
fashioned after the little towers which were the
Tabernacles of the primitive church.
In some of the churches of the Cistercian Order
in France, the Ostensorium takes the form of a
small statue of the Blessed Virgin so constructed
that the Sacred Host may be placed in its hand
during Exposition.
What is the Lu-
nula or Lunette?
It is the small
glass and metal en-
closure, circular in
form, to carry and
present the Sacred
Host erect in the
central opening of
the Ostensorium.
LUNETTE
WJiat is the derivative of its name?
From the Latin luna (moon).
Ciborium, Pyx, Ostensorium, Etc. 373
Relative to its Structure, what has the
Church determined?
February 4, 1871, the following query was sent
to the Sacred Congregation of Rites: "In expos-
ing the Blessed Sacrament in the ostensorium is
it permissible to use a lunette enclosed with circu
lar glass sides, front and back, held in place by a
silver circular band gilded on the inside, so that
the Host is in actual contact with the double glass
surface." By a decree in response to that query
and a subsequent one of September 4, 1880, the
Sacred Congregation replied that it is not becom-
ing to so enclose the Host. Notwithstanding this
prohibition the irregular lunette is still very
generally manufactured and used. The legitimate
lunette demands a metal back, gilt on the inside.
What is the Custodia?
It is a round, shallow vessel with close-fitting
cover in which the
lunette reposes whilst
carrying the Sacred
Host. It is required
only when, without it,
the Sacred Host would
lie uncovered in the
tabernacle. Some-
times ostensoria are
constructed on such a
large, weighty plan that the upper part is movable
and readily separated from the cumbersome
CL'STODIA
374 The Mass and Vestments
pedestal. When this large and rare lunette con-
taining the Host is placed in the Tabernacle, the
Custodia may be dispensed with.
How is the name derived?
From the Latin custos and custodia (a guard
and guardianship).
What is the material of the Ostensorium,
Lunula and Custodia?
The material is not prescribed. Since, however,
they are destined for a function akin to the
Ciborium their material should be both "solid and
becoming."
The Sacred Congregation permits the Osten-
sorium and Lunette to be made of copper (cuprum).
All these sacred vessels may be blessed jointly
or singly by the formula for the blessing of a
Tabernacle.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE RESERVATION OF THE SACRED HOST.
In the Ancient Church how was the Blessed
Sacrament reserved?
The usual repository was a golden dove sus-
pended from the canopy of the altar. This
custom explains the title, "Domus Columbae"
(House of the dove) applied to the Church by the
early Fathers. Verona and the British Isles used
ivory receptacles of costly workmanship. A small
tower was also in vogue, and in Rome as recent
as 1370, in the pontificate of Gregory XI, little
baskets of delicate wicker-work in allusion to the
miraculous multiplication of the loaves by our
Divine Lord served as tabernacles. In the early
medieval period a light, kept burning night and
day, before the tabernacle was of obligation.
How is the Blessed Sacrament reserved now?
In a ciborium placed in a tabernacle and covered
with a silken veil. Here it is kept for the Com-
munion of the people at Mass and to go on its
errand as the Holy Viaticum for the dying. A
sanctuary lamp fed with pure olive oil furnishes
the required undying light in honor of the Blessed
Sacrament, and to warn the people that the Real
Presence is in the tabernacle. Of so weighty an
obligation is this of a steadily burning light, that
376 The Mass and Vestments
St. Alphonsus does not excuse from a mortal sin
the caretaker of a lamp who knowingly allows it
to remain quenched one whole day, or two nights
in succession.
What has the Church decreed regarding
the Sanctuary Lamp?
(a) It must be, not behind or upon the altar,
but before it, or at its side. ( Decree of August
22, 1699) . On the table of the altar and adjacent
to it only wax candles may be burned. ( Decree of
May 31, 1831) .
(6) The lamp may be suspended from a bracket
on the side, or by a chain in front of the altar.
(c) Colored or diaphanous lamps in green, red
or anv other shade are permitted. (Decree of
June 2, 1883).
(d) It may be covered with a shade. (Decree
of September 16, 1865).
(e) The Ceremonial of bishops requires many
lamps to burn before the Blessed Sacrament, which
refers to some solemn feast or is only advisory
and not mandatory.
What quality of Oil is to be used in the
Sanctuary Lamp?
Although the Roman ritual does not prescribe
the kind of oil, a continuous custom and the decrees
of the Sacred Congregation enjoin that gener-
ally and ordinarily olive oil alone may be used.
These qualifying adverbs are employed because it
Reservation of the Sacred Host 377
is given to the discretion of a bishop in his diocese,
on account of the poverty of a church to allow
other oils, with a preference for vegetable oils.
(Decree of July 9, 1864).
When it was subsequently asked whether this
decree allowed the use of kerosene for lighting
altar and church, ignoring the question of poverty
and Episcopal consent, the Sacred Congregation
replied (March 20, 1869): "Neither kerosene
nor any other kind of vegetable oil can be used,
except as necessity and the prudence of the
bishop justify it."
How is the Blessed Sacrament reserved
among the Orientals?
The Greek Church uses a little satchel placed in
what is called the Artophorion (bread-bearing)
with a constantly burning light before it. Unless
in very extreme illness the sick must be conveyed
to the church for Communion.
The Abyssinians keep the Sacred Host in the
Tabou or Ark.
The schismatic Copts never reserve the Blessed
Eucharist. They argue that the chosen people
instead of reserving any portion of the Paschal
lamb from day to day were obliged to consume it
entire at one meal. They also fear the fanaticism
of the Mahometans. If a Coptic priest is sum-
moned to the dying, he will say Mass at any hour of
day or night, not fasting, to provide the Viaticum.
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE CORPORAL, PALL, AND PURIFICATOR.
What is the Corporal?
A square piece of linen of the varying dimen-
sions of a kerchief, to be placed in the middle of
the altar table to receive the chalice and paten,
and if necessary, the ciborium, because on it the
bread and wine are Consecrated and placed.
What is its Significancy?
It typifies the winding sheet in which the Body
of Christ was prepared for the tomb, as the
chalice the sepulchre, and the paten the stone
rolled against its door.
What is its Derivation'?
From the Latin corpus (a body).
What are the Characteristics of the Corporal?
It must be made of flax or hemp, unembroidered,
with lace on edges if so desired, and a cross
worked into it about an inch from front edge.
No cross is allowed in its centre. As cross and
lace are unnecessary and may be a hindrance
when collecting the fragments, they had better be
omitted. It must be clean and whole. It is for-
bidden to use a torn or ripped corporal. When
Corporal, Pall and Purificator 379
washed, bleached, mended and ironed it is folded
into three equal parts in length and width. It is
better to prepare it without starch. Only those
permitted to touch the chalice may handle a
corporal used in the Mass.
Must the Corporal be Blessed?
It must, either by a bishop or priest having the
adequate faculty, before it is used. If it is em-
ployed in the Mass by mistake or otherwise before
its blessing it must not be considered blessed. It is
not blessed again after it is washed. It has its
own special formula for blessing. It forfeits its
blessing when no part of it is sufficiently large for
the Host and chalice together. To celebrate Mass
without a corporal would involve a grievous sin,
unless excused by an unusual necessity, like the
providing of Mass for the people on a Holyday of
obligation and the Viaticum for the dying.
What of its Ancient Use and Form 1 ?
It was an altar linen — a fourth altar cloth — in
the early Church, when it was extensive enough
to cover the entire table of the altar, and required
the presence of two deacons to fold it after the
service.
When is it placed on the Altar"?
In a low Mass and a chanted Mass, at the begin-
ning. In a solemn high Mass the ancient discipline
of spreading it before the Offertory is followed.
380
The Mass and Vestments
PALL
What is it called by the Greeks?
Eileton — (something rolled up), in allusion to
the winding sheet in which the body of Christ was
enshrouded for the tomb.
What is the Pall?
A small square of linen
or hemp to cover the
chalice.
Hoiv is it made?
Usually with two pieces
of linen, between which
card board is inserted for
the sake of stiffening it.
The upper side may be ornamented with em-
broidery or painting in various colors, or covered
with cloth of gold, silver or silk of any color,
except black. Death emblems are also proscribed.
The lower side must be of plain linen or hemp. It
must be kept scrupulously clean. The Roman
pall is usually small — only large enough to cover
the chalice. The palls in use here are large
enough to cover the paten.
Is there not some Ambiguity regarding the
Ornamentation of the Pall?
The question was asked if a pall with a silk
cloth upper side could be used, and the Sacred
Congregation replied in the negative. (Decree of
January 22, 1701 ). The same query was sent to
Corporal, Pall and Purificator 381
the Congregation in recent years and answered in
the affirmative. (Decree of January 10, 1852,
and July 17, 1894).
Is the Pall oj Ancient use?
It is in use only since the eleventh century.
What was its Archetype?
The large corporal which covered the entire altar
and which was wide enough to be drawn over the
Host and chalice, a form of pall now only the
privilege of the Carthusians.
Is its Blessing Mandatory?
It must be blessed by the formula for the bless-
ing of corporals to which it is kindred.
What ivas (/ranted by Paul IV to the Thea-
tines relative to the Pall?
He permitted the use of a double pall — one for
the chalice and another for the Host, which has
divided theologians on the question whether the
same custom might not be extended to other
churches, without Apostolic permission.
What is the Purificator?
A piece of pure white linen or hemp, from six-
teen to twenty inches, long and from nine to ten
inches wide, the purpose of which is to wipe the
chalice and the lips and fingers of the celebrant.
A small cross mav be worked in it at its centre to
382 The Mass and Vestments
distinguish it from the little finger towel used at
the Lavabo, which is not of obligation, although
St. Charles Borromeo so ordered by statute.
By what other name is it known?
It is also called a Mundatory.
Is it of ancient usage?
It is of comparatively modern introduction.
When it became a chalice linen is uncertain. As
matter of record, we know that no mention is
made of it prior to the thirteenth century.
Is it Blessed?
It is not blessed. ( Decree of September 7, 1816).
What discipline regulates its use?
Each priest must have his own purificator, and
it should be changed once a week or even oftener
if it becomes soiled or stained. When laid aside
for washing it should be placed only with soiled
chalice linens.
Who is allowed to touch these Chalice Linens?
After their use in the Mass only priests,
deacons and sub-deacons are allowed to touch
them. They alone are allowed to give them
their first washing. To the inquiry whether
Nuns could, with the permission of the bishop,
be substituted for those in Sacred Orders in
the performance of this duty, the Congregation
Corporal, Pall and Purificator 383
replied in the negative. (Decree of September
12, 1857). Before use, however, and after wash-
ing, there is no restraint in the matter of hand-
ling them.
Do the Greeks use a Purificator?
The Greeks discard the purificator, and instead
use a sponge, because one of the instruments of
the bloody sacrifice of the Cross.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
BURSE, VEIL, ETC.
What is the Burse?
The Burse or purse is a
receptacle for the corporal
and pall when not in use in
the Mass. It should be
of the same material and
color as the accompanying
vestments.
Bl'RSE
What is the Veil?
The veil is the small square which covers the
chalice. In color and material it should conform
to the vestments.
What is the Fin-
ger Towel?
The small linen
towel with which the
celebrant dries his fin-
gers at the Lavabo.
are
the
What
Cruets?
Cruets, a diminu-
tive from old French
"cruye" (pitcher) and
CRUETS
Burse, Veil, Etc. 385
Dutch Krink (cup) are the small vessels con-
taining the wine and water and requisite for the
Holy Sacrifice. They have been made of precious
material, opaque, but their special utility and to
avoid serious blunders would recommend a trans-
parent material like glass.
Why is the small Bell Rung in the Mass?
It is rung at special parts of the Mass — the
beginning of the Canon, Elevation and Commun-
ion — to give the people warning and awaken their
attention.
pose?
What do the Rubrics demand for this pur-
se?
Only a small bell.
What are the appointed times for its ringing?
Only twice — at the Sanctus and Elevation.
Is it wrong to ring it oftener?
The Sacred Congregation of Rites (Decree of
May 14, 1856) decided that a more frequent
sounding of the bell may be tolerated.
Why are bells silent in Holy Week?
Bells are stilled from the "Gloria" in the Mass
of Holy Thursday until the "Gloria" on Holy
Saturday according to Benedict XIV, because
bells typify the preachers of the word of God and
all preaching was silenced during the trial and
passion of Our Lord.
386 The Mass and Vestments
Is the use of the gong legitimate?
The archbishop of Mexico asked whether an
Oriental symbol "adrnodum catini semi-pen-
dentis ab hasta lignea" (like a dish hanging on
a wooden staff) and struck by an acolyte could be
used as a substitute for a bell. The reply was a
negative. (Decree of September 10, 1898).
Vander Stappen applies this prohibition to the
gong because of the similarity of construction and
manner of sounding. As, however, there has
been no specific proscription of it and it is in very
general use, any opinion of its impropriety is as
yet premature and unwarranted.
What is the Osculatory?
The instrument whereby the Kiss of Peace is
given — from osculum (Kiss). In the beginning,
assemblages of Christians were divided like the
synagogue by the sex line. There was no
promiscuous gathering as now. Even then it was
the custom in solemn services for the sub-deacon
to convey the Kiss of Peace to men and women
alike to be imparted afterward by man to man and
woman to woman. This practice continued until
the thirteenth century, when a new form of
salutation was introduced by the Osculatory,
which was a metal figure of Christ or a Pieta on
a metal ground with a handle at the back. The
celebrant kissed the Osculatorium which was
kissed in turn by the attendants and faithful.
Burse, Veil, Etc. 387
The whole ceremony of the Pax is merely a sug-
gestion of that brotherly love and charity which
ought to bind Christians. As in primitive times
it was reserved for those approaching Communion,
and Communion was not given at requiem
Masses, the Pax is excluded from Masses of
requiem even now when the custom of giving
Communion prevails. The Osculatory is rarely
seen at present.
What is the Thurible?
Thurible or Censer is the vessel in which incense
is burned at solemn High Mass, Ves-
pers, Benediction and in the services
for the dead. In many ancient
churches Thuribles were suspended
from the roof and allowed to burn
incense throughout the service. At
Santiago, Spain, a colossal silver censer
is tied by a long rope to a ring at the
intersection of nave and transept and
smoked by swinging, whilst on special
feasts a procession moves through the
church.
What is the Symbolism of Incense?
When offered to a person it expresses homage
and respect. The Magi gave a gift of incense to
the Divine Infant. Our dead are blessed with in-
cense because the Sacraments they have received
have made them temples of the Holy Ghost.
388 The Mass and Vestments
When employed by the Church it signifies:-
(a) The fire of holy charity that should con-
sume us.
(b) The good odor of Christ that is diffused in
our hearts.
(c) The practice of prayer, "Let my prayer,
Lord be directed like incense in thy sight."
CHAPTER XXIX.
THE CRUCIFIX.
What is the Rule determined by the Rubrics
regarding the Crucifix?
The Ceremonial of bishops prescribes that it
must be a crucifix and not a cross, placed between
the candlesticks on the altar and of the same
metal as the candelabra. This latter regulation
of material is not to be rigorously interpreted, and
any other material, even wood is legitimate.
What is the Nature of this Mandate requir-
ing a Crucifix?
It is preceptive and of obligation. Therefore,
it is not lawful to say Mass without a crucifix.
Are there any exceptions to this rule?
The crucifix may be omitted if:
(a) The Altar has in the place of the crucifix
a statue of the Crucified, or a painting of the
same which is prominent and distinct, and not
merely subsidiary and an inconspicuous accessory
to another subject, as for instance a representa-
tion of St. Francis of Assisi, or any other saint.
Neither is a picture or statue of the Sacred
Heart, or the Infant Jesus, or the Redeemer
manifesting His sacred wounds an adequate sub-
stitution for the crucifix.
390 The Mass and Vestments
( b ) When Mass is celebrated on an altar where
the most Blessed Sacrament is exposed, each
church and diocese may follow its own custom
and retain the crucifix if the use is such, or dis-
card it according to an opposite custom. The
instruction of the Congregation of Rites merely
enjoins adherence to the prevailing practice.
What is the Rule with reference to the Size
and Prominence of the Crucifix?
It must be large enough to be conspicuous and
visible to the priest and the faithful assisting at
Mass.
It must be so elevated that it will appear above
the head of the celebrant, and facilitate the
observance of the rubric which obliges him to lift
his eyes to the Crucified in divers parts of the
Mass.
This regulation inhibits the use of a diminutive
crucifix.
Where must the Crucifix be Placed'
When the rubric appoints the altar table, mid-
way between the candlesticks as its proper place,
it has in contemplation the altars of the Roman
Basilicas, table-shaped, devoid of the Tabernacle,
and so located that the celebrant faces the people.
It also applies to an altar without a Tabernacle,
where Mass is said in the usual way, but which
has a step running across its entire length on
which the candelabra are placed and between
The Crucifix 391
them the crucifix. Another construction was
that of an altar with a Tabernacle of limited size
placed on the altar and table. The position of the
crucifix then is behind the Tabernacle and high
enough to overtop it.
Since the seventeenth century, the spacious,
elaborate, called the renaissance Tabernacles have
come into vogue occupying the primitive place of
the crucifix. These Tabernacles have an open
space above them, covered by a canopy of Roman
or Gothic fashion, in which the Ostensorium is
placed for the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
and is therefore called a throne. The crucifix
should be placed at the summit of the canopy and
not on the throne according to a decree of
September 11, 1847. Gasparri (vol. II, p. 100)
admits that the common practice is at variance
with it, and says such a usage may be tolerated
if it is the only available place for the Crucifix.
A later decree, of June 2, 1883, instructs as a way
of observing it literally, that the throne be mov-
,able and, therefore, distinct from the Tabernacle
over which the permanent canopy on stationary
pillars is erected.
What is the History of the Crucifix as a
Religious Syrn bol ?
The crucifix never appears in early christian
art. The subject was not represented until the
fifth century. The earliest reference in literature
to a picture of the Crucifixion is in the middle of
392 The Mass and Vestments
the sixth century, and until the end of the same
century there is no mention of a carved image of
it, when St. Gregory of Tours refers to a crucifix
in a church at Narbonne, which gave offense on
account of its nakedness. In the Middle Ages it
became a popular and all-prevailing representa-
tion. It assumed four types: Altar Crucifix
that stood at the altar, or at entrance to the choir;
Road Crucifix at the crossroads or shrines; Sta-
tion Crucifix at terminus of Way of the Cross,
and Processional Crucifix, usually smaller and of
metal, carried in procession.
Strange to say, the earliest representation of a
crucifix is that known as the "blasphemous cruci-
fix." In excavations on the Palatine (Rome) it
was found rudely and crudely scratched on the
wall of the pages' quarters attached to one of the
imperial palaces. A figure with the body of a
man and the head of an ass is hanging on a cross.
In front of it in an attitude of adoration is a
slave, and the inscription in Greek uncials reads:
"Alexamenos adores (his) God."
The picture belongs to the end of the second
century and explains two facts — the popular con-
ception of Christianity by the average Roman,
and the derision invited by the christians if they
made a public use of the crucifix.
What is the History of the Cross as a Relig-
ious Symbol?
In practice, the sign of the cross filled a large
The Crucifix
393
share of the mind and life of the early Church. In
art, an undisguised representation of it in the first
centuries is rarely found. De Rossi could point to
only one instance before Constantine, and for a
century later it shunned publicity. The reason
was found in a desire to avoid furnishing fuel to
Pagan bias, especially since the cross was then in
common use, like the gallows for the punishment
of felons.
There are six types of crosses: Latin, when
the transverse beam cuts the upright shaft near
the top; Greek, when two equal beams cut each
other in the middle; St. Andrew's, like the Greek
cross; Egyptian or tau-shaped; Maltese, worn by
the Knights of Malta, formed by four equilateral
triangles whose apices meet in one point; Russian,
having two transverse beams at the top and one
near the foot, slightly inclined
to favor a tradition that in the
Crucifixion one foot was lifted
a little higher than the other.
A cross with two transoms at
the top, one longer than the
other, represented the board of
the inscription and the cross-bar
on which the head rested. The
cross with three transoms called
Papal is the fiction of painters.
Indeed, so reliable an authority processional cross
as Father Thurston, S. J., re- archiep.scopal
394 The Mass and Vestments
cords that these double and triple-barred crosses
have for the most part only a heraldic existence.
Crosses that represent the arms of the Lord as
only partly extended are called Jansenistic,
because Cornelius Jansens of Belgium taught the
false doctrme that Christ died only for the good
and not for all.
Give summary of the approved uses of the
Altar Crucifix?
(1) A cross with figure (crucifix) must be
placed at the middle of every altar, on which
Mass is celebrated (Rubr. Gen. Miss. Tit. XX.)
Except in cases of positive necessity Mass may not
be celebrated without it. (DeHerdt, vol. I, n. 181, II).
(2) Its proper place is between the candlesticks
and in a straight line with them {Caer. Episc.
Lib. I, cap. XII, n. 11). To obtain this position it
may be placed upon the tabernacle unless a canopy
is permanently erected over the tabernacle, which
serves as a throne for the exposition of the Blessed
Sacrament. (S. R. C. June 11, 1904).
(3) It should be sufficiently high and large to
be seen by the celebrant and the people (S. R. C.
September 17, 1822) and its pedestal should be on
a level with the top of the candlesticks. (Caer.
Episc. Lib. I, cap. XII, n. 11). The small crucifix
found sometimes on the summit of small wooden
tabernacles or attached to the door of some taber-
nacle cannot take the place of the altar cross. (S.
R. C, June 16, 1663).
The Crucifix 395
( 4 ) The crucifix may be made of any substance,
but it is fitting that it be of the same material as
the candlesticks. (Caer. Episc. Lib. I, cap. XII,
n. 11).
(5) If the altar-piece contains a picture of
Christ crucified, or if there is on the altar a large
statuary group representing the Crucifixion, it is
not necessary to place a crucifix on the altar (S.
R. C. June 16, 1663). But in this case the cross
with the image must be the central or principal sub-
ject of the picture. A picture, for example, rep-
resenting St. Francis Xavier, with a large crucifix
in his hands, whilst preaching to the pagans,
would not answer the purpose.
(6) Although the size of the altar cross is not
determined by a decree of the S. Congregation,
yet the instructions given to the visitors of the
churches in Rome decide that its perpendicular
bar cannot be less than 16 inches and the horizon-
tal bar less than 8 inches. {Acta S. Sedis, Vol.
XXXVIII, p. 179).
(7) If it be necessary to remove this large
cross, another of smaller dimensions must be
put in its place during Mass; the latter, however,
must be large enough and be placed in such a
position that it may be seen by the celebrant and
the people. (S. R. C. September 17, 1822).
(8) The regular altar cross cannot be covered
with a cloth to protect it from dust, damp, etc.,
396 The Mass and Vestments
and one of smaller dimensions used in its stead
during Mass. (S. R. C. September 12, 1857).
( 9 ) It cannot be placed on the throne or on the
corporal on which the Blessed Sacrament is ex-
posed, at least not on the exact spot on which the
ostensorium is placed. (S. R. C. June 2, 1883).
It may be placed on the throne a short distance
in front of or behind the spot on which the osten-
sorium usually stands during public Exposition.
(10) The cross may be placed on the altar
during Mass celebrated before the Blessed Sacra-
ment exposed. It is, however, not of obligation,
but the custom that prevails in each church is to
be followed. (S. R. C. September 2, 1741).
(11) It must be covered with a violet cloth
from the first vespers of Passion Sunday to Good
Friday, and cannot be uncovered during that
period, however great the feast or solemnity
may be that is being celebrated. {S.R. C. Novem-
ber 16, 1649).
(12) On Holy Thursday the cross on the altar,
at which the Mass of the Presanctified (only) is
celebrated, is covered with a white cloth (Memor-
iale Rituum, Tit. I, cap. I, n. 2), and on Good
Friday with a violet (not a black) cloth. (S. R.
C. December 30, 1881).
(13) At any function, all, except prelates,
canons and the celebrant, make a simple genuflec-
tion to the cross of the altar, even if the Blessed
The Crucifix 397
Sacrament is not reserved in the tabernacle of
such altar. (S. R. C. August 30, 1892). But
from the adoration of the cross on Good Friday to
the hour of noon on Holy Saturday, all, even pre-
lates, canons and the celebrant, must genuflect to
the cross. (S. R. C. May 9, 1857; September 12,
1857).
( 14) If the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and
a cross, according to the custom of the place, is
placed on the altar, the cross is not incensed dur-
ing the incensation of the altar. (S. R. C.
November 29, 1738).
(15) The rubrics do not prescribe that the cross
be specially blessed (S. R. C. July 12, 1704),
although this may be done privately by any priest
(Ibidem), who in this case uses the form of bless-
ing pro Imaginibus, found in the Roman ritual
(Tit. VIII, cap. 25), and not the one pro Nova
Cruce, which is used only when blessing a cross
to which the image of Christ is not attached.
CHAPTER XXX.
THE MISSAL AND MISSAL STAND.
ALTAR CARDS.
What is the Missal?
The Mass book in which are contained the
Masses to be said through the circle of the year.
What is the Language of the Roman Missal?
It is printed in Latin, in red and black letters.
What is the Import of these Colors?
The black letters constitute the text of the
Missal, and the red its Rubrics or directions in
performing the various actions of the Mass.
How is the term "Rubric" derived?
From the Latin rubrum (red). The ancient
Romans used red chalk in writing the titles of
books and statutes, and in process of time the
name was given the inscriptions.
Why are Ribbons and Page-Tips used?
The five ribbons corresponding in color to the
vestment shades are used as book-marks to locate
the Mass and its various commemorations. The
page-tips of leather, silk or linen are attached to
the leaves of the Canon of the Mass to aid the
The Missal and Missal Cards 399
celebrant in turning them over. The reason of
this is, between the Consecration and the finger
ablutions after Communion, the priest's thumb and
index finger, having touched the Sacred Host,
cannot come in contact with aught else until puri-
fied with wine and water. They cannot, there-
fore, give any help in turning these tipped pages.
When do the Masses of the Missal begin?
With the first Sunday of Advent, which has no
fixed date. According to present discipline, it is
always the Sunday falling nearest to St. Andrew's
day (November 30) whether before or after it.
In the event of a feast falling on this Sunday it is
transferred to another day and the Sunday is the
first of Advent.
Who is the Author of the First Missal?
If the data are insufficient to sustain the opinion
favoring the authorship of St. James, the Just,
Apostle and first bishop of Jerusalem, all are
agreed that the Liturgy which bears his name is
the most ancient of all.
Nigh to the Apostolic Age, what were the
Mass Books?
There were four: The Antiphonary, Evangel-
ary, Lectionary and Sacramentary. For their
contents vide p. 79.
Describe the Inconvenience of these Four
Books?
400 The Mass and Vestments
In celebrating, particularly a low Mass, it was
most inconvenient and harassing for the priest to
be obliged to turn from one to the other of these
four volumes to find the special prayer and lesson
appropriate to the Mass. This led to the consoli-
dation of the four into one book called a Plenary
Missal.
Was not the Single or Plenary Missal the
Creation oj the Council of Trent?
Although Plenary Missals were long in vogue
before the Council of Trent (1545-1563) their
origin is generally ascribed to it, because Trent
corrected many errors and interpolations and
remodelled and rearranged them.
Did the Council oj Trent give Us a New
Missal?
By no means. Substantially, our modern Missal
is identical with the Sacramentary of Pope Gregory
the Great (790).
What Popes First Issued the Missal?
Pius IV began the task, and Pius V completed
it in 1570, by producing a new Missal and pro-
mulgating a decree enjoining its acceptance on all.
This is the Mass-book we use now. Between
1570 and 1574 seven editions were issued of
which few copies are extant — one of the first
edition, four of the second, one of the third, none
of the fourth, fifth and sixth, and only one of the
seventh edition exist now.
The Missal and Missal Stand 401
In addition to the Missal what else did Pius
V make Obligatory?
The psalm, "Judica me Deus," at the begin-
ning of the Mass, when permitted by the rubrics,
and the Gospel of St. John at the end. Before
his time they were optional.
What Missal Must be Used in the Celebra-
tion of Mass?
The Missal which is proper to the church or
oratory where the Mass is offered.
What is always the Standard or Norma oj
such Missals?
The Roman Missal issued by Pope Pius V.
Are there then Varieties in Missals?
The Mass-books of the Eastern Church are
quite distinct from those of the Western Church,
and even in the Roman Church there are many
differences.
Explain how these Diversities are caused?
(a) Special churches, nations, provinces and
dioceses have their own local saints and patrons
who are honored by a Mass. These saints are
not found in the Calendar of the Universal Church
and their place in the Missal is in a supplement to
be honored only locally. The same applies to
Feasts of obligation, for Holydays are not uniform
throughout the whole Church.
(b) The Religious Orders have their own saints
402 The Mass and Vestments
— associates who were carried to the heights of
heroic virtue by observance of their respective
rules. These are found in an appendix.
(c ) One Religious Order, the Franciscan, enjoys
the peculiar privilege of carrying their saints, not in
an appendix, but in the body of the Roman Missal
where they are close neighbors of the saints of
the Universal Church. Hence their Missal is
known as the Roman-Seraphic.
(d) When the Pope in 1570 edited the Missal,
he decreed that all other existing Missals in the
Western Church must be retired, except those
which had been in continuous use, at least, two
hundred years prior to that date. This concession
insures to the Dominicans and others not only a
special Missal, but also a special rite and formula
in the celebration of Mass.
To whom was reserved the Right to Say
these Special Masses?
Only those to whom the privilege was given by
Papal indult, whilst all others in these favored
localities and monasteries had to conform to the
ordinary Roman Missal. With the progressivelv
increasing number of these local Masses, and the
presence of many visiting priests, made possible
by the desire and facilities of travel, this exclusive
regulation created confusion and a temptation to
transgress it.
How was this Difficulty Obviated?
The Missal and Missal Stand 403
By a decree of July 9, 1895, the Sacred Congre-
gation of Rites extended the privilege of saying
the Mass proper to the place to all visiting Secu-
lars and Regulars officiating in a church or public
oratory, whether such Mass was found in the
Roman Missal, or only in that of the Regulars,
always, however, prescinding from such privilege
the right to follow the specialized rite of these
Orders.
What else is to be Observed Regarding the
Missal?
(a) The ribbon markers should be arranged in
their proper sequence.
( b) It is becoming that it be gilt-edged.
(c) The Ceremonial of Bishops and Liturgists
refer to a silk covering for it corresponding in
color with the vestments. This recommendation
is, however, generally neglected because of the
ornamental binding now in vogue.
What is the Missal Stand?
The support for the Missal on the altar. The
rubrics of the Mis-
sal prescribe a cush-
ion of silk of the
same color as the
vestments instead
of the conventional
Missal stand, which,
nevertheless, is its
legitimate substi-
MISSAL STAND
404
The Mass and Vestments
tute. This missal-stand is to be covered with a
veil of the vestment color, unless it be gilded or
carved wood.
What other Liturgical Books are used in tlie
Celebration of Mass?
(a) An excerpt of the Roman Missal for the
requiem Masses, and since 1895 the prayers for
the various Absolutions.
( b ) The book of Gospels and Epistles for the
deacon and sub-deacon in solemn High Masses.
(c) The Canon containing the Order and Canon
of the Mass according to the Roman Missal for
the convenience of bishops and prelates enjoy-
ing the privilege of pontificating — for bishops at
low and high Mass, and prelates only when
solemnly officiating.
What are Altar Cards?
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ALTAR CARDS
The Missal and Missal Stand 405
The rubrics of the Mass prescribe only one
altar card called a Tabella and Charta-Glorise to
be placed at the foot of the Crucifix, or at the
middle of the altar- table, or before the Tabernacle,
which contains the prayers to be recited silently,
with exception of the Gloria and Credo.
Later, the two lesser cards — one at the Epistle
side of the altar for the prayers at the pouring of
the wine and water into the chalice and the psalm
Lavabo — the other at the Gospel side containing
the Gospel of St. John were introduced. These
cards are permitted on the altar only during the
offering of Mass, and when a bishop officiates
their place is usurped by the Episcopal Canon.
CHAPTER XXXI.
CANDLES.
Why are Lighted Candles used on the Altai''?
The liturgical lights on an altar are never used
merely to repel darkness, nor as a mere reminis-
cence of the time when Mass was celebrated in the
catacombs. Their use is determined by their
symbolical significancy and tradition, or historical
consistency.
What are the Elements of this Symbolic
suggestiveness?
(1) Because light represents Christ who is "the
true light which enlighteneth every man coming
into this world."
(2 ) To show forth the reverence and splendor
which inhere in the Sacred Mysteries.
(3) To awaken faith, devotion and zeal for
good works whereby we become exemplars of
light to our neighbors.
What is the Verdict oj Tradition regarding
these Lights?
In the Old Law it was the ordinance of God
that fire should permanently burn on the altar
and that the priest should feed it. This divine
Candles 407
command fixed the norma for the early Christians,
and the use of lights on or about the altar is
believed to be of Apostolic origin.
What is the attitude of the Church regard-
ing the Material of these Altar Candles?
The legislation of the Church in this matter
may seem to be of excessive stringency. By
repeated decrees the quality and number of such
candles have been fixed unalterably. The material
must be wax. To reiterated petitions for the
substitution of artificial material and vegetable
fats, sperm, tallow, stearin, paraffine and a mix-
ture of sperm or stearin with beeswax Rome
has uniformly returned an emphatic negative,
until the decree of December, 1904. Bleached
wax candles are the proper material at ordinary
services, and for the Office and Mass of the dead,
Good Friday and Matins of Tenebrae custom has
legitimized the unbleached wax candle.
What is the Purport of the Decree of Decem-
ber, 190^?
It prescribes that the Paschal candle and the
two candles lighted at Mass must be for the most
part of pure beeswax, and that all other candles
placed on the altar should contain this substance
in more or less notable quantity. The bishops of
Ireland have officially interpreted this decree as
signifying that the Paschal candle and the two
Mass candles should contain at least 65 per cent
408 The Mass and Vestments
beeswax and all the other candles at least 25 per
cent.
To safeguard the peace of conscience and secure
pious and troubled souls against scrupulosity the
Sacred Congregation annexed this observation to
its regulations: "In which matter parish priests
and other rectors of churches and oratories can
safely stand .by the standards fixed by their
respective bishops, whilst others about to celebrate
Mass need not inquire too anxiously about the
quality of the candles." Primarily then it be-
hooves the bishop to regulate the sort of candle
to be used on the altar, and for those in charge of
churches and public oratories to execute such
regulation, while other priests having no responsi-
bility need not trouble their conscience about the
candles unless a very gross and palpable abuse
come under their notice.
Will Poverty, or the High Price oj Wax, or
Custom Warrant another kind oj Candle?
No.
Has the Church permitted any Exceptions to
the above Requirements?
Exceptions were made for Oceania (decree of
September 7, 1850) and the Polar regions (decree
of February 6, 1858).
What was the Reason of the Exceptions?
The impossibility of procuring either beeswax
Candles 409
or olive oil in these countries. The exception
ceases when either wax or oil is obtainable.
Why does the Church insist on Beeswax?
On account of its symbolical meaning. The
pure beeswax of the candle burning on the altar
is a figure of the untainted Humanity of Christ.
It is the product of the bee which harvests the
nectar and pollen from the flower. This particular
bee which gathers the honey and secretes the wax
is virginal and an appropriate figure of the Virgin
Mother. Hence, the mystics regarded the wax as
the Sacred Body of Our Lord; the wick encom-
passed by the wax, His soul, and the flame, His
Divinity, or the fire of Divine love.
Is it ever Permissible to use Gas, or Electric-
ity, or Oil, or Candles of another substance?
For mere illumination, or display to enhance
solemnity, these may be used, but never in the
place to which the liturgic lights are entitled, and
always subsidiary to these lights.
A decree of November 22, 1907, decides:
(1) That electric lights cannot be used on the
altar, even when the prescribed wax candles are
placed upon it.
(2) That electric lights cannot be used instead
of the candles or lamps which are prescribed to
burn before the Blessed Sacrament, sacred relics
and images or statues of the saints.
410 The Mass and Vestments
(3) That it is left to the prudent judgment of
the Ordinary to decide concerning the use of
electric lights in other places in the church.
How many Candles mast be Lighted on the
Altar at Mass?
For a low Mass, a bishop may have four and a
priest at least two, unless privileged by the Holy
See to use more. An exception is made for low
Masses at marriages, first Communions, funerals,
the community Mass of Religious on Sundays and
Holydays, and in churches where for reasons the
last or parochial Mass is low.
For a solemn Pontifical Mass when the bishop
officiates in his own diocese, seven. This seventh
candle is set up high behind the crucifix. It dis-
appears, however, at requiems and Pontifical ves-
pers. Its appositeness recalls the vision of St. John
in the Apocalypse (Chap. I, vv. 12-13). "I saw
seven golden candlesticks, one like unto the Son of
Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot and
girt about the paps with a golden girdle." Like
another Christ should be the bishop in his diocese.
In ordinary high Masses on Sundays and feasts
of a higher rite, six lights must be used. On
feasts of double and semi-double rite, during
octaves, ferials of Advent, Lent, Ember days and
vigils, four suffice. On other ferials and simples,
two. In high Masses of requiem at least four
candles are required.
Candles 411
At vespers the number is not prescribed. Litur-
gists, however, appoint four or six for solemn
vespers, and two for a simple service as a minimum.
At Benediction the number is variable according
to piety and the resources of the church. Twelve,
ten and six lights are mentioned in the decrees
applicable to poor churches. Less than six are
never allowed.
What other Lights are used?
Torches by the attendants, the large Paschal
candle from Holy Saturday to the Ascension, and
the Bugia or hand candlestick and the Sanctuary
Lamp.
What is to be said of the Candle lighted at
the Elevation of the Host?
The rubric notes that in a private Mass, before the
Consecration, a special candle of a rope or twisted
pattern, on the Epistle side, is to be lighted and
not extinguished until after the priest's Commun-
ion. Its purpose is to admonish the faithful of the
Real Presence of Christ on the altar and to excite
them to conscious adoration. The custom is still
retained in few churches and its observance accord-
ing to many theologians is not of obligation.
What is the proper Oil for the Sanctuary
Lamp?
Pure olive oil, partly because it was the most
economical and abundant luminant in the cradle
412 The Mass and Vestments
and infancy of the Church, and partly for its sym-
bolic suggestion. The olive branch is typical of
peace since the days of Noah, and the oil pressed
from its fruit may be regarded as a figure of
Christ, the Prince of Peace. Owing to its expen-
siveness and scarcity in the Western Church, the
French bishops in 1864 petitioned that they
might be permitted to use some other vegetable
oil, not excluding even petroleum as a substitute
for olive oil. The favor was granted under Epis-
copal supervision. Colza, cotton-seed oil and oil of
the poppy and flax plant are the vegetable pro-
ducts most generally utilized.
A decree of November 8, 1907, permits the use
of a compound of olive oil and beeswax in the
Sanctuary Lamp.
CHAPTER XXXII.
BREAD AND WINE.
What kind of Bread is Consecrated in the
Mass?
Bread made of wheaten flour and water, baked,
not stewed, fried or boiled, and incorrupt.
Is this Bread Leavened or Unleavened?
Both are valid material in the Latin Church.
The only licit material, however, according to the
Latin rite is unleavened bread, wheat flour and
water being the only ingredients.
Was Leavened Bread ever used in the Latin
Church?
Cardinal Bona proves that until the tenth cen-
tury leavened or fermented bread was as commonly
used as unleavened bread. In that century the
unleavened or unfermented bread became obliga-
tory.
Why does the Latin Church use Unleavened
Bread?
Because according to the Evangelists, SS. Mark
and Luke, the Last Supper was held on the first day
of the Azymes, that is, on the first of the seven
414 The Mass and Vestments
Paschal days when only azyme or unfermented
bread was permittted, and, therefore, it is intelli-
gible that Christ obeyed the law and Consecrated
the unleavened bread.
Does the Church then Declare the Quality of
the Bread?
The Church dogmatically does not define any
quality of bread. Simple bread, independent of
leavening and unleavening, is the burden of the
Church's dogma. The quality is fixed by dis-
cipline.
Why did the Latin Church introduce Leaven-
ed Bread?
To confound the Ebionite heretics and establish
the disenthrallment of the Christian Church from
the Synagogue. The Ebionites taught that the
New was subservient to the Old Law and,
therefore, the Eucharist invalid unless unleavened
bread was the material used.
What is the Usage among Orientals?
The Armenians and Maronites use unfermented,
and the Greeks, Melchites, Chaldeans, Syrians and
Copts fermented bread.
What is the Verdict of Rome?
Rome says: "Let each Church observe its own
rite/'
Bread and Wine
415
How are Altar
Breads made?
They are baked
between heated
irons upon which is
stamped some pious
device, such as the
Crucifixion, Lamb
of God, or a simple
Cross.
What is the form of these Altar Breads?
They are circular in form and very thin.
What is their size?
Until the eleventh century there was a very
general custom of communicating the people with
ALTAR BREAD BAKING IRON
ALTAR BREADS FOR MASS AND COMMUNION
particles broken from the large Host or loaf
which the priest Consecrated. As a consequence,
it must have been of much larger proportions
416 The Mass and Vestments
than now. At present the celebrant's Host is
smaller, although larger than the Hosts still desig-
nated "particles" which the people receive.
What sort of Wine is Valid Jor the Altar?
The juice of the matured grape, ripened still
more by fermentation, and which has not become
corrupted and undrinkable. This corresponds
with the genimen vitis (the fruit of the vine) of
Our Lord. ( Matt. XXVI, 29) .
What is Invalid?
Any liquid that is the product of other fruits
or grains, like cider, beer or whiskey. The same
is true of wine pressed from unripe grapes and
wine converted into vinegar. Should the wine
become so putrid as to be undrinkable it would
be invalid. If the unripeness is slight and the
acidity trivial it may be corrected by the addition
of a small amount of sugar.
What is Illicit?
Wine in the primary stage of corruption when
the sour, bitter taste and the musty scum are
evident; also "must," the unfermented juice of
the grape is lawful only in a serious emergency,
because before the chemical change it contains
dregs unfit for Consecration.
What is Licit Wine?
Wine that is genuine and natural, the fermented
produce of the grape juice without the addition
Bread and Wine 417
of any substance that could be regarded by the
standard of the Church as deleterious to its native
qualities and limited in its alcoholic constituent.
Is Wine from Dried Grapes or Raisins
Valid?
These raisins are steeped in water which they
absorb. Then they are crushed in the wine
press.
The Holy Office cleverly answers, "Yes, if in
color, taste and smell it is true wine."
What of the absence of fermentation and the
absorption of so much water?
Theologians concur that it is lawful material if
it be the result of fermentation, and the water
absorbed does not exceed the quantity lost by
evaporation. This raisin wine must therefore con-
tain the element of wine so predominantly that
the admixture of water shall be comparatively
small and shall not affect the fluid as true wine.
What is the average Alcoholic strength of
Wine?
About twelve per cent. The amount depends
on the richness of the grape and the sugar in the
must. Sometimes there is an arrested fermenta-
tion, and again the abundance of sugar in the
must is not all transformed into its equivalent of
alcohol. This residuum of sugar in most wines,
under favorable conditions, sets up a secondary
418 The Mass and Vestments
fermentation when transferred to wood or glass,
making them muddy and even corrupt. This is
very often the condition of wines exported by
sea.
How is this danger averted?
(a) By the addition of alcohol.
(b) By an increase in the temperature of the
wine.
Which has received the Approval of the
Church?
Both.
State the jacts relevant to this decision?
In 1887 the bishop of Marseilles asked the Holy
Office which of these two preservatives was to be
preferred. The Congregation replied that the
second was to be recommended. Later, the same
prelate asked, if:
(1) Alcohol could be used to strengthen weak
wine?
(2) If so, how much and in what quantity and
quality?
The reply was that alcohol might be used, pro-
vided it was the pure extract of the grape; that the
additional alcohol with what the wine normally
contained should not exceed twelve per cent and
that the infusion must be made while the wine
was fresh.
Bread and Wine 419
In 1891 the archbishop of Tarragona inquired if
the custom of adding ten per cent of alcohol to
the rich wines of his country might be followed,
and if the wines so fortified might be used in the
Mass. The reply came in an unqualified negative
so far as the Mass is concerned.
Again, the archbishop complained to Rome that
the twelve per cent permitted, in response to the
bishop of Marseilles, was not sufficient to protect
the rich Tarragonian wines against vitiation when
exported, and as eighteen per cent was the mini-
mum preservative he petitioned that his wine
merchants might be allowed to fortify up to that
measure. The answer was favorable, but the
standard mentioned in the petition must not be
exceeded; the spirits used must be pure grape
extract, and the mixture made at the turning point
of the fermentation when it begins to defervesce.
As a rule for practice, it is conceded that the extra
percentage is allowable in all cases similar to that
of Tarragona, but that the twelve per cent is not
to be exceeded except in like necessity.
What is the Benefit of a High Temperature
for Wine?
When raised to a very high temperature the
germs of trouble after fermentation are disarmed
or eliminated. It is said to be the method of
Pasteur and the best preservative. To a further
query, whether the must could be similarly treated
420 The Mass and Vestments
the answer was an approval so long as the boiling
is not a bar to fermentation, arising in the natural
way. Other methods of preservation, like the
introduction of acids, etc, that injure or prejudice
the natural quality of the wine are illegitimate.
What is the Nature of the Obligation to mix
the Wine with Water in the Mass?
It is of grave obligation that a little water,
never more than the third part of the wine under
any circumstances should be poured into the
chalice for Consecration. The Church never dis-
penses in this rubric which is said to be a vestige
of Apostolic times. There are also motives of
symbolism, like the duality of Christ's nature and
the issuance of blood and water from the side of
the dying Saviour commending the practice.
Theologians discuss the fate of these drops of
water in the miracle of Consecration. That they
are transmuted into the Precious Blood is now
the accepted opinion, whether immediately or
mediately is a point of contention in the schools.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
STATIONS.
What is the meaning of Statio {Station) as
found in the Roman Missal and the Liturgy?
This term is a curious relic of the past. For
example, on Septuagesima Sunday the "Statio" is
at St. Lawrence's church outside the walls; Sexa-
gesima, St. Paul's; Quinquagesima, St. Peter's, and
so on through the Lent, every day having its own
station.
It signifies:
(a) A fast appointed by the Church for fixed
days, like that of Wednesdays and Fridays, Ember
times and Lent.
(b) A military post or encampment, and hence
St. Ambrose: "Our stationes (encampments) are
our fasts which defend us against the devil's
attacks. They are called stationes because
stantes (standing) we repel our enemy."
(c) Certain days whereon the faithful met by
appointment for worship at previously desig-
nated places. This was imperative in the age of
persecution, and the place of their assemblage
was near the tomb of some martyr in the
catacombs. The service was simple and brief.
In the era of peace the Church continued the
422 The Mass and Vestments
custom of a more solemn service at stated places
on Wednesdays and Fridays, vigils, anniversaries
of martyrs and during the forty days of Lent.
Later, the great festivals and the whole interval
between Easter and Pentecost were added.
Pope Gregory the Great (590) established and
regulated all the details of these Stations, reduc-
ing them to a fixed number, appointed the cere-
monies to be observed, the days and churches in
which they were to be held, the places of assemblage
for people and clergy and from which they
walked processionally to the Stations or desig-
nated churches, the indulgences procurable by all
participants, and ordered such stations to be noted
at the beginning of the Masses in the Roman
Missal.
The solemn processions ceased in the fourteenth
century during the residence of the Popes at
Avignon, and now the visits are made without
ceremony. Formerly, only one church was assign-
ed to any particular day, but now there are two
and three on some days although only one is
scheduled in the Missal. There are in all one
hundred and one stationary churches in Rome
for eighty-four days. A visit to one of these
churches suffices to gain the rich indulgences.
(d) A church or oratory at which a procession
halts, and hence processions are sometimes called
Stationes.
Stations 423
(e) The pictures of the Passion erected in
churches before which the people pray and medi-
tate.
(/) The churches wherein special courses of
sermons are given by appointed preachers, as for
example in Advent and Lent.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE SACRED VESTMENTS IN GENERAL.
In the Study of Church Vestments how many
Methods are there?
Two: The ritualistic and the antiquarian.
What is the Ritualistic Method?
It is that process which maintains and seeks to
prove that the vestments of the Christian Church
are modeled directly upon the vestments of the
Jewish priesthood. As Moses, by the command
of God, formulated minute instructions for the
shape and usage of these, so they claim an in-
direct divine appointment for the Christian vest-
ments.
What is the Antiquarian Method?
The process of gaining knowledge of the vest-
ments of the Church by a study of archaeology
and a patient comparison of the works of authors
and artists of successive periods. The pictorial
representations of the catacombs, mosaics of the
earlier churches and the mortuary figures of
ecclesiastics on ancient tombs furnish the chief
material for this study.
Sacred Vestments in General 425
What is the Decision of the Antiquarian
School?
The experts in this school are unanimous in
holding that the vestments of the Christian
Church were evolved by a natural process from
the ordinary costume of a Roman citizen of the
first or second century of our era. Dr. Rock in
his Hierurgia (vol. II, p. 201) quoting Bona and
Thomassius, emphasizes this distinction: The gar-
ments once worn in the celebration of the Sacred
Mysteries were afterwards exclusively used for the
same holy purpose. It was considered indecorous, if
not a profanation, to alienate them from the service
of the altar and to wear them when otherwise en-
gaged. Fashion then had its caprices and way-
wardness, although unlike the present in the
suddenness and capriciousness of its changes. The
Sanctuary was, however, kept intact from these
innovations and the ecclesiastical dress kept its
original form, while the costumes of civil society
underwent a gradual transformation. In process
of time those garments which once were uni-
versally worn by the people of condition became
peculiar to the servants of the altar. This began
to be discernible about the close of the sixth
century.
As between these two schools where lies the
Probable Truth?
Neither is absolutely correct. Whilst the balance
426 The Mass and Vestments
of probability is enormously in favor of the Anti-
quarian theory, it does not cover certain changes
which were made in the textures, outlines and
numbers of the vestments while the Church was
comparatively in her infancy. Before Constantine's
conversion vestments were ordinarily of the less
expensive materials, and decorated merely with
scarlet stripes, called lotus clavus (broad stripe)
after the manner of the bands of purple on the
ankle tunics of Roman senators. Subsequently,
the vesture remained the same in form, but was
manufactured of the richest stuffs. Later along,
changes were introduced to assimilate, as far as
possible, the Jewish and Christian ceremonial dress.
Thus it may be affirmed both views contain an
element of truth.
Which is the older of the two Systems of the
Origin of Church Vestments?
The theory of a Levitical origin is the older of
the two. Not only was it the first, but for many
years it was the only solution proposed. Very
few now hold it absolutely. The weight of
argument is against it, and it has been abandoned
as untenable.
Who first Taught the Mosaic Origin of
Christian Vestments?
Rabanus Maurus, Archbishop of Mayence, in his
treatise, "De Institutione Clericorum," written
about the year 850.
Sacred Vestments in General 427
Who first held the Opposite View?
Walafridus Strabo, a Benedictine monk, pupil
and contemporary of Rabanus Maurus, in his
work, "De Exordiis et Incrementis Rerum
Ecclesiasticarum"
What was Strabo' s Opinion?
That Christian priests in the early centuries
officiated in the common dress of daily life.
What Reply is to be made to the Statement
that some early Fathers contradict Strabo?
Passages from St. Jerome, the Liturgy of St.
Clement and the charge against Cyril, Bishop of
Jerusalem, have been carefully examined by
Marriott in his "Vestiarium Christianum" and de-
clared inconclusive. There is no reference, what-
ever, in these extracts to a vestment of any pre-
scribed shape, and their color is only specified by
such indefinite words as lautros (bright) and
Candida (white).
When did the development of Vestments as
to Material and Shape begin?
About the end of the fourth century, when the
Emperor Theodosius dying (395) the Roman
world was divided between his two sons, Arcadius
and Honorius.
How may this Period be divided?
Into primitive and transitional The primi-
428 The Mass and Vestments
tive period approximates four centuries, during
which epoch, clergy and people wore the same
style of vesture both in church and out, subject
only to the accidental distinctions of quality and
cleanliness. The Transitional era begins at the
end of the fourth century and proceeds to the
eighth, thus also comprising four centuries. Dur-
ing this time vestment-usage rapidly developed
in the churches of the West, till it culminated in
the gorgeous enrichment of medieval times.
Whence do we derive the fullest Information
on Vestments in this Period?
From the fourth Council of Toledo (633) under
the presidency of St. Isidore, of Seville. Its
twenty-eighth canon provides for the case of a
cleric who had been unjustly degraded from his
Order, and ordains that such a one if he be found
innocent in a subsequent synod, "cannot be re-
instated in his former position unless he regains
his lost dignities before the altar, at the hands of a
bishop. If he be a bishop, he must receive the
ovarium (stole) and planeta (chasuble); if a
deacon, the orarium and alba (alb); if a sub-
deacon, the paten and chalice, and similarly for
the other Orders — they must receive, on their
restoration, whatever they received at their
ordination."
On the principle that the clergy of the higher
Orders added the insignia of the lower Orders
Sacred Vestments in General 429
to those of their own, this procedure helps us to
make this distribution of vestments at this period
in Spain:
Alba: worn by all alike.
Orarium: worn by deacons, priests and bishops.
Planeta: worn by priests and bishops.
Ring and Staff: exclusively for bishops.
What Pope supplements this Knowledge of
Vestments?
Some letters of Gregory the Great (590-604)
give us particulars relative to these other vest-
ments not in general use, which signifies either
that they were reserved to the clergy of Rome,
or were in the gift of the Pope. These are the
dalmatica, (dalmatic), mappula (little napkin,
maniple) and the pallium.
What further light is shed on this Subject?
An anonymous MS. of uncertain date — Martene
ascribes it to the sixth and Marriott to the tenth
century — found in the monastery of Autun,
enumerates the pallium, casula (chasuble),
manualia (bracelets), vestimentum (maniple),
alba and stole as the vestments worn in the
Gallican Church. The manualia are found in no
other Western list and suggest a derivation from
the Eastern Church, where the Epimanikia, cor-
responding to the Western maniple, are worn on
each arm, and not pendent on the arm, but encom-
430 The Mass and Vestments
passing it so that they rather resemble cuffs than
napkins suspended on the wrists. They are in-
tended to represent the bands in which Christ was
bound.
When does information regarding Vest-
ments begin to be Specific?
In the ninth century and on through the Mid-
dle Ages. Prior to that time, Christian literature
and art had been retarded, first by persecution,
then by war and tumult. The military genius of
Charlemagne effected a general peace in 812, and
under his enthusiastic patronage a true renais-
sance took place in learning and art. For the
first time active and systematic researches were
made into the details of doctrine and ritual of the
Church of the preceding centuries. This was the
age of Rabanus Maurus and Walafrid Strabo. As
all knowledge of classical antiquity had for three
centuries or more been well nigh extinct, it is in-
telligible that a solution of the phenomena of
Christian vestments would be sought on the
theory of a Levitical origin.
At what period was the largest increase
made to Vestments?
In the interval between the ninth and eleventh
centuries the number of recognized vestments
was doubled. To exhibit the extent of these
changes the subjoined table in parallel columns is
Sacred Vestments in General 431
submitted, and a uniform nomenclature has been
adopted so that the reader may see at a glance
the date of the various additions:
Bibliography: Catholic Dictionary; O'Brien, History of
the Mass; Hierurgia, Rock; Sacra Liturgia, Vander Stappen;
De SS. Eucharistia, Gasparri; Monuments of the Early
Church, Lowrie; Vestiarium Christianum, Marriott; Eccles-
iastical Vestments, Macalister; Irish Eccles. Record, Jan.,
May, 1906, April, June, 1907; Am. Eccles Review, Feb.,
Sept, 1890, Feb., 1891, June, 1892, July, Aug., Sept., Dec,
1904; Origin of Christian Worship, Duchesne.
CHAPTER XXXV.
SACRED VESTMENTS— THE AMICE.
What are the Sacred Vestments employed by
a Priest in Celebrating Mass?
Six: Amice, alb, cincture, maniple, stole and
chasuble.
What is the Amice and how does it derive
its name?
It is a rectangular piece of linen about three
feet long and two feet wide, with a string at two
of its upper corners by which to gird it on the
shoulders of the wearer, and a cross on the mid-
dle of the upper edge which the priest kisses
when vesting. Its name is derived from a Latin
verb, amicire (to clothe or cover ) .
Is it known in the Liturgy by any other
name?
It is also called Humeral from the Latin
humerus (a shoulder); Anabolagium from a Greek
synonym of a cloak; Ephod, because it resembles
the Aaronic garment of that name. This last
analogy is rejected by modern authorities.
What was the Primitive Use of the Amice?
It is uncertain. It might have been a neck-
cloth introduced for reasons of seemliness, to hide
the bare throat, or again a kerchief which pro-
Sacred Vestments— The Amice 433
tected the richer vestments from the perspiration,
so apt in southern climates to stream from face
and neck, or perhaps a winter muffler protecting
the throat of those who in the interest of church
music had to care for their voices. The sub-
deacon at his ordination receives the amice from
the bishop, who says to him: "Receive the amice
by which is signified the discipline of the voice"
(castigatio vocis ). Whilst we have lost the exact
meaning of this phrase, it seems to have reference
to some primitive use of the amice as a sort of
muffler to protect the throat.
With more assurance we can affirm the amice
was destined as a covering for the head, neck and
shoulders, it being the first vestment donned. As
a head covering it remained in vogue until the
tenth century, when it was replaced by the
ecclesiastical cap, or berretta. Many of the older
Religious Orders, like the Capuchins and Domini-
cans, still wear the amice after the fashion which
prevailed in the Middle Ages. It covers the
head and shoulders as the full-vested priest goes
to the altar. There he throws it back from the
head, giving it, as it hangs about the neck and
over the chasuble, the appearance of a small
cowl. It thus forms a sort of collar to protect
the stole and chasuble from contact with the
skin. On his return to the sacristy, the amice is
again drawn over the head, and thus in passing
to and from the altar, it is used as a head-cover-
434 The Mass and Vestments
ing in lieu of the modern berretta. With the ex-
ception of the older Religious Orders, this method
of wearing the amice has fallen into desuetude
for the clergy at large, and the only surviving
trace of it is the rubric directing that in putting
it on, the amice should for a moment be laid upon
the head before it is adjusted about the neck.
What is its Material?
Linen, woven from the fibre of flax and hemp,
is the only permissible material. A little cross
must be sewed to, or worked upon the amice in
the middle, which the priest is directed to kiss
when assuming it.
What is the Mystical Meaning of the Amice?
It may be gleaned from the prayer recited in
donning it: "Place upon my head, Lord, the
helmet of salvation for repelling the attacks of the
evil one." It is part of the armor of a soldier of
Christ, and reminds him that life is a warfare in
which he must strive for the victory.
Who is entitled to Wear the Amice?
The amice being a sacred vestment should not
be worn by clerics below the grade of sub-deacon.
Is the Amice alivays put on before the Alb?
Ordinarily, it is. In the Ambrosian rite, how-
ever, it is donned after the alb. The Pope, when
pontificating, wears a sort of second amice of
striped silk called janon, which is assumed after
Sacred Vestments— The Amice 435
the alb and then folded back over the neck of
the chasuble.
When did the Amice become a Liturgical
Vestment?
It is uncertain. Theodulph of Orleans (821)
and Walafrid Strabo (849) make no mention of it.
The "Admonitio Synodalis," credited to the ninth
century, distinctly enjoins that no one must say
Mass without amice, alb, stole, maniple and
chasuble.
Is the Amice Synonomous with the Almuce,
also styled Amys or Amess?
It is not. The Amuce, from the Teutonic Muce
(cap or hood) and the Arabic article al, probably
a Spanish prefix, was a hood lined with fur, and,
like the cassock, designed to protect the priest
from cold. In winter, the churches, never very
warm, would have been uninhabitable before the
invention of heating stoves or furnaces had it not
been for comfortable articles of apparel such as
these. It was shaped so that it could lie over the
shoulders as a tippet, or be drawn over the head
as a hood. The cloth exterior was black usually,
like the cassock, and the fur lining varied in
color and quality with the rank of the wearer.
Doctors of divinity and canons wore an almuce
lined with gray fur, and all others a dark brown
fur. About the year 1300 the almuce as a hood
was superseded by a cap.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE CINCTURE.
What is the Purpose of the Cincture?
To gather up the long and broad
alb that it may be fitted closely to
the body. It is tied about the waist
to keep the alb in its proper place.
Laborers, soldiers and pilgrims were
wont to gird themselves to secure
their long loose garments to facili-
tate their movements.
By what Other Names is it
Known?
It is also called zone, girdle, band
CINCTURE. Qr bdt
What is the Material of the Cincture?
The ancient usage favors linen cinctures. Wool
is also permitted. (Decree of December 23, 1862).
Silk is also tolerated, because to the question,
whether a priest could use a silk cincture, the
Sacred Congregation of Rites (Decree of January
22, 1701) replied that a linen cincture would
better meet all the proprieties.
What is the Color of the Cincture?
Formerly it varied in color to harmonize with
The Cincture 437
the color of the vestments. Now it is almost ex-
clusively white, although other colors may be
used according to the option of the priest. Termi-
nating both ends are two large tassels of the
same color as the cord.
What ivas its original Shape?
It was wide like a sash, of silk and cloth of gold
and studded with gems.
What is the Form of the Cincture in the
Oriental Church?
Among the Greeks and Syrians the cincture is
broader than ours, and instead of being knotted
is buckled in front with a hook or clasp.
What is the Subcingulum or Succinctorium?
It takes the form of a girdle passed around the
alb, and having on the left side a maniple-like
appendage. Innocent III, writing at the begin-
ning of the thirteenth century, describes the
vestment as peculiar to bishops. Now we know
it is reserved for the exclusive use of the Pope.
The history of its origin and use is the most
curious and difficult of all the priestly vestments.
Very probably it is a modification into an orna-
ment of something designed for a natural require-
ment. When the maniple became too narrow,
and too richly embroidered for use as a handker-
chief, a plain piece of cloth may have been sub-
stituted for it which would require a pocket in
438 The Mass and Vestments
which to place it Again, a receptacle would be
needed for the thumbstall or thimble placed on
the thumb, after it had been dipped in chrism,
to keep it from soiling the vestments, and also for
the metal "apples," in which hot water was placed
when the day was cold. The subcingulum may
have supplied these wants.
What is the Symbolic Significancy of the
Cincture?
It is revealed in the following prayer which the
priest says in assuming it: "Gird me, Lord!
with the cincture of purity and extinguish in my
loins the heat of concupiscence that the virtue of
continence and chastity may abide in me."
*£&kh
CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE ALB.
What is the Alb?
It is a white linen vestment,
with close fitting sleeves, reach-
ing nearly to the ground and
secured around the waist by a
girdle.
By what names has it been
known?
In the past it has been known
by various names: tunica linea
(linen tunic) from its material;
tunica talaris and talaris
(ankle tunic) from tali (ankles)
because it reaches to the feet;
camisia (shirt) from the shirt-like nature of the
garment; alba (white) from its color; alba
Romana (Roman alb) to distinguish it from the
shorter tunics which found favor outside Rome.
What name alone survives in our day?
The name of alb or alba (white) is almost the
only surviving name.
Is there any difference between the Liturgi-
cal Alb and the Albse Vestes {white garments)
of Medieval Writers?
ALB
440 The Mass and Vestments
The alb is ordinarily a clerical garment, although
laymen are sometimes clothed in it in Corpus
Christi processions, notably in the ancient city of
Aigues Mortes, where the writer witnessed this
use of it. The Albse Vestes were, however, the
white garments assumed by the newly baptized
on Holy Saturday and worn until Low Sunday,
which was consequently known as Dominica in
Albis (deponendis) , the Sunday of the (laying
aside of these) white garments. Possibly our
Whit Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost baptisms
may derive its name from a similar practice.
These white garments were also called "Chrismals."
What is the origin of the Alb?
It is impossible to speak positively of the origin
of this vestment. Medieval liturgists who favored
the Mosaic origin of the vestments imagined they
found its counterpart in the Kethonet, a white
linen tunic of which we read in Exodus, ch.
XXVIII, v. 39. But a white linen tunic also
formed a part of the ordinary attire of both
Romans and Greeks under the Empire, and most
modern authorities, like Duchesne and Braun, think
it needless to look further for the origin of the alb.
Where is the first mention oj it as an item
of ordinary dress?
In a passage of Trebellius Pollio, who speaks of
an alba subserica (a half silken alb) mentioned
in a letter sent from Valerian to Zosimus, Procura-
tor of Syria (260-270) .
The Alb
441
What was its Shape and Use in everyday
life of the Roman Citizen?
Of the garments worn in everyday life by the
Roman citizen, the innermost was the tunica
talaris (ankle tunic) or long tunic. It was white and
usually of wool. It was called talaris, or long, because
being the alb of ceremony, it was distinguished
from the short tunic, used when freedom was
required for active exertion. The tunics of sena-
tors and knights were specialized by two strips of
purple, in the former case broad (lati clavi) in the
latter, narrow (angusti clavi) which crossed each
shoulder and descended both before and behind
as far as the bottom of the garment.
The tunic was originally a sleeveless garment.
An age of luxury gradually introduced a new kind
of tunic provided with sleeves. The older or sleeve-
less tunic was called
colobium, a Latinized
form of a Greek adjec-
tive signifying docked
or curtailed. The
sleeve tunic was nam-
ed tunica mancata
(long sleeved tunic)
or tunica Dalmatica
(Dalmatian tunic)
from the name of the
province, Dalmatia, to
which its invention is
ascribed.
FROM THE CEMETERY OF SS. PETER
AND MARCELLINUS, ROME.
ILLUSTRATING THE CLAVUS.
3
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O Z
a: —
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a:
- D
en ->
O
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til
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a;
The Alb 443
Although the use of this latter garment, in the
beginning, was discredited as effeminate, it event-
ually ousted its more austere rival from popular
favor, for we find that anno. 258, St. Cyprian of
Carthage, wore a tunica dalmatica, over which
was a byrrhus, or cloak, when led out to martyr-
dom. At such a solemn crisis, it is incredible that
Cyprian would have assumed a merely luxurious
garment, and equally incredible that he was
robed in ecclesiastical vestments.
How does the Liturgical Alb compare with
this Tunica Dalmatica?
It also has the tight sleeves reaching to the
wrist. Both are worn in the same manner, and
both reached to the feet. The ancient frescoes
represent ecclesiastics wearing albs which show
ornaments disposed like the clavi (bands) of the
tunica talaris. These clavi by their relative
width distinguish representations of Christ from
the Apostles, and help to discriminate between
the figures of ecclesiastics of different ranks.
When and by Whom is it first recorded as a
Mass Vestment?
Pope St. Sylvester (253-257) ordained, "that
deacons should use the dalmatica in the church,
and that their left hands should be covered with
a cloth of mingled wool and linen." (Migne,
Patrol, vol. CXXVII, 1514). The left hand cover-
ing refers to the maniple. The Pseudo-Alcuin
444 The Mass and Vestments
tells us that, "the use of the dalmaticas (long-
sleeved albs) was instituted by Pope Sylvester, for
previously, colobia (sleeveless albs) had been
worn." (Migne, vol. CI, 1243). St. Isidore of Seville
(560-636) also refers to it. (Migne, LXXXII,
635). The forty-first Canon of the Fourth Coun-
cil of Carthage (400) ordains that the deacon shall
wear an alb only "tempore oblationis tantum
vel lectionis" (during the Mass or liturgical read-
ing). (Labbe, Sacrosancta Concilii (1671) vol. II,
col. 1203). The first Council of Narbonne (589)
enacts that, "neither deacon nor sub-deacon, nor
yet the lector shall presume to put off his alb
until after Mass is over." (Labbe, vol. 5, col. 1030).
In Use and Shape how has this Vestment
Varied?
Until the middle of the twelfth century, all
clerics wore the alb in their sacred functions,
assisting at Mass, or a Synod and taking Com-
munion to the sick. In the monasteries, not only
the officiating monks wore the albs, but also those
who sat in the stalls. Since the twelfth century,
the surplice has gradually been substituted for
the alb, except for sub-deacon, deacon, priest and
bishop actually officiating. At present it is little
used outside Mass.
In form the vestment has not changed, except
in the enlargement or contraction of its lateral
dimensions. Prior to the ninth century it was of
The Alb 445
generous size, because the cassock and inner gar-
ments were worn under it, and the cassock of
that age was usually lined with fur, making it a
clumsy garment. This flowing robe, by exper-
ience was found to seriously impede the priest in
some of his functions, for instance in administer-
ing Baptism by immersion. A close-fitting alb
was adopted for use on such occasions, and this
baptism-alb became the parent of the more con-
tracted medieval alb which came into general use
in all the offices of the Church.
Will the Alb now admit of Ornament?
It admits of lace as an ornament, and also a
colored lining behind the cuff of the sleeves (decree
of July 12, 1892) although the Congregation of
Rites had prohibited this by a former decree.
What was the Ornamentation of Albs in
former ages?
Rich and heavy embroideries decorated the
lower edge, wrists and neck. In the thirteenth
century the fashion of -'apparels" came into vogue.
These were oblong patches of rich brocade, or
embroidery sewed to the lower rim, the wrists,
breast or back, or both. Later, except in Milan
in the Ambrosian rite, these albs disappeared
before the introduction of lace as an ornament.
What is the Material and Color oj the Alb?
The body and sleeves must be made of linen;
446 The Mass and Vestments
hence cotton or wool is forbidden. By a decree
of the Sacred Congregation of Rites (May 15, 1819)
cotton albs and amices then in vogue were allowed
until worn out. Their successors must, however,
be linen. The same privilege was denied for
corporals, palls and purificators. For Spain it was
decreed that a special vegetable fibre, not hemp,
but kindred to it, was improper material. (Decree
of August 13, 1895). In the Vicariate of China,
a vegetable fibre called "hia-pou" of the same
family as hemp, was permitted because of a long
enduring custom, poverty and difficulty of procuring
linen. (Decree, June 27, 1898). The color must
now be white. Medieval inventories show blue, red
and black albs, and albs made in silk, velvet and cloth
of gold. In isolated instances the use of silk and
colored albs still lingers in the East and West.
What is the Significancy of the Alb?
According to Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) the
alb from the purity of its color denotes newness
of life. This was exemplified in the practice of
clothing the newly-baptized in white garments
with these words: "Receive this white and spot-
less garment, which you are to bear before the
tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you may
possess eternal life. Amen."
Priests of the Latin Church put on the alb with
this prayer: "Purify me, Lord ! and make me
clean of heart, that washed in the blood of the
Lamb, I may possess eternal joy."
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
THE MANIPLE.
What is the Maniple?
It is a small strip of cloth, uniform in material
with the stole and chasuble, embroidered with a
triple cross — one in the middle and one at each of
its extremities, worn on the left wrist, to which it
is attached by a pin or string. It is of the same
width as the stole and is about two feet long.
When in place, it hangs equally on both sides.
What are its Ancient Names?
Maniple, fanon (fano, to dedicate), sudarium
(sweat-cloth), mappula (small napkin), linteum
(linen-cloth) and mantele (napkin).
From what source do ive obtain a knowledge
of its use?
The early Christian monuments fail to furnish
any illustration of the unfolded towel upon the
shoulder of the deacon, and its stages of develop-
ment between that and the narrow band of cloth
as we know it now. The Pagan monuments,
however, are more responsive and give us frequent
examples of such a towel borne upon the left
shoulder of camilli (youths who ministered at the
sacrifices), and delicati (table-servants), and of
448 The Mass and Vestments
the contabulatio (folding or plaiting), which this
mantele underwent, notwithstanding its strictly
practical purpose. The Rt. Rev. Monsignor Wilpert,
Protonotary Apostolic, in his "Un Capitolo di
storia del Vestiario," reproduces and illustrates
many such monuments. They reveal it in the
early part of the Empire as, on one side, rough
(villosum, like Turkish towelling), and afterwards
of fine linen which permitted it to be neatly
folded.
To whom was its use first appointed?
Vander Stappen testifies that, primitively, all
those who offered, or accepted anything at the
altar had the hands covered with a white napkin.
In the fourth centurv it was reserved to the
deacons of Rome as their peculiar privilege, to
cover the left hand with the mappula whilst
serving at special functions.
Why was it given to the Deacon?
Such a towel was demanded by the deacons in
the early period because their service was then
far more material than it is now. Part of the
support of the clergy was furnished by offerings
received by the deacon, out of which he had to
separate the bread and wine for the Mass. In the
Mass itself, the sacred vessels were larger as the
consumption was more frequent, if not greater,
and the purifying of these was the deacon's ex-
clusive duty. It was also his privilege to minister
The Maniple 449
to the celebrant with water and towel for the
washing of his hands.
What was the Original Use of the Maniple?
It served as a towel, or napkin and kerchief to
absorb the perspiration of the wearer, and dry
the hands to prevent the soiling of the vestments.
Alcuin, in the ninth century, thus refers to it:
"The little kerchief which is worn on the left
hand, wherewith we wipe off the moisture of the
eyes and nose designates the present life in which
we suffer from superfluous humors."
Amalerius, a contemporary, also testifies: "We
carry a handkerchief (sudarium) for the purpose
of wiping the perspiration." It had, therefore,
nothing in common with the mappa, or signal-
cloth, with which the Emperor and higher officials
gave the sign for the games.
How was the Maniple worn?
In its towel and napkin form it was carried on
the left shoulder and over the left hand. In its
liturgical form it was first worn over the fingers
of the left hand, as may be seen in the figure of
Archbishop Stigand in the Bayeux tapestry. This
arrangement was most inconvenient as it was
constantly liable to slip off, and the fingers had to
be held in a constrained attitude throughout the
service. It was early found more convenient to
place the vestment over the left wrist, to which it
is attached by pin or ribbon. The few effigies
450 The Mass and Vestments
which represent it on the right wrist are unauthor-
ized by any liturgical rule, and can only be
attributed to the blunder of the engraver or
sculptor.
When did the Maniple become a Liturgical
Distinction?
At the end of the fourth century, when the
Council of Laodicea forbade its use to sub-deacons
and the inferior clergy.
What are the steps of the development of the
Maniple into a Liturgical Vestment?
In the sixth century, John, Archbishop of
Ravenna, petitioned Pope St. Gregory the Great,
to permit his minor clergy to wear the maniple in
imitation of the clergy of Rome, which was
granted only to the first deacons of Ravenna. In
the eighth century, the Pope began to wear it on
his left hand. Rome and Ravenna monopolized
its use until the tenth century. This date fixes
its limit as a handkerchief. Thenceforth it began
to be worn as a liturgical vestment, and by the
twelfth century it was in general usage, not under
the form of a simple white kerchief, but as an
ornament of symbolical significancy, of the same
material as the stole and chasuble. The twelfth
century determines the date when the maniple
was given to sub-deacons in their ordination.
When is the Maniple Assumed?
By priest, deacon and sub-deacon it is assumed
The Maniple 451
after the cincture and before the stole, when these
ministers are vesting for special functions. It is
assumed by a bishop-celebrant only after he has
been entirely vested, and has proceeded in the
Mass to the "indulgentiam" after the Confiteor,
just prior to his ascent to the altar.
Why is the Bishop invested with the Maniple
at that time?
To perpetuate the memory of an ancient custom
when the ample and enveloping chasuble com-
pletely covered the celebrant. This chasuble was
folded back over the hands by the deacon and
sub-deacon just before the celebrant ascended the
altar steps to begin Mass, and only then was
the maniple given because its employment was
impossible before. Now by the curtailment of
the chasuble this is rendered unnecessary, but the
love of her ancient days, and her desire to impress
them upon the veneration of her children prompts
the Church to continue the antique custom in a
bishop's Mass only.
What determines the use and the non-use oj
the Maniple?
Its ancient usage as a linen napkin covering the
hands when receiving the offerings of the faith-
ful and delivering them to the celebrant in the
Mass. In accordance with this custom, the
maniple is not put on by the celebrant until after
the Asperges, and is removed for Benediction and
452 The Mass and Vestments
the Absolution after a Mass of requiem, and is not
worn at Vespers. This is another memorial of its
primitive use.
Is the Maniple a Vestment in the Oriental
Church?
The maniple of the Eastern is very different
from that of the Western Church. Two maniples
are worn, one on each arm, taking the form of
ample, loose surplice sleeves fastened to the wrists
by a silken string. The bishop's maniple is
decorated with an icon, or image of the Saviour
which is presented to the people to be kissed.
These maniples are called Epimanikia, (some-
thing worn on the hand) from Greek epi, upon,
and Latin manus, a hand.
What is the Significancy of the Maniple?
It signifies:
(a) The chains whereby Christ was bound to
the column of flagellation.
(6) The tears of penance and the labors and
fruits of a good life. When the priest assumes it,
he says: "May I deserve, Lord, to bear the
maniple of weeping and sorrow in order that I
may reap joyfully the reward of my labors,"
The bishop in ordaining a sub-deacon says whilst
investing him with the maniple: "Receive the
maniple by which is tokened the fruit of good
works."
CHAPTER XXXIX.
THE STOLE.
PREACHING AND
BENEDICTION STOLE
1 1 What is the Stole?
It is a band of cloth of the
same material as the maniple and
chasuble when worn by a full-
vested priest and deacon, ordi-
narily of the same width as the
maniple but very much longer.
When worn by the priest at
special functions like Benediction
and preaching, its texture is dis-
tinctly precious with rich orna-
mentation and larger than the
Mass-stole. ,
The stole in use for confessions,
sick calls and the administration of
the sacraments is of humbler
material and more contracted in
size.
How is the Stole Worn?
The Mass-stole is worn around
the neck by the bishop and abbot
when pontificating, pendent on both
sides, and not crossed at the breast,
SICK AND
CONFESSION STOLB
454 The Mass and Vestments
because the pectoral cross has been already
donned. It is carried by the priest in the same
manner, with the exception that it is crossed on
his breast and held in position by the cincture.
The earliest representation of an episcopal stole
is given in a mosaic of the early sixth century at
Ravenna. Priests generally wore the stole like
the bishops. The practice of crossing it on the
breast is ancient, but did not become general until
a late period. It is worn by the deacon only on
the left shoulder and carried to the right side
under the arm where it is crossed and held in
place either by the cincture or a small connecting
band. This mode of wearing it suggests his in-
feriority to the priest and his freedom of service
by leaving the right hand unencumbered when
ministering at the altar. In functions outside the
Mass the priest wears the stole equally pendent
on both sides.
Who has a right to wear the Stole?
All in sacred Orders, including deacons. The
Council of Laodicea, (364) prohibited the stole to
lectors and sub-deacons. "The Levite (deacon)
ought to wear one Orarion (stole) on his left
shoulder because he orates, that is preaches."
When and why is the Stole worn?
The rubrics prescribe, or custom sanctions the
wearing of the stole in all functions where graces
The Stole 455
and blessings are imparted, like in all that con-
cerns the Blessed Eucharist, the administration of
the sacraments, the use and blessing of sacra-
mentals, and often in preaching. Because it is a
symbol of spiritual power and jurisdiction, it was
formerly more frequently worn, and a Council of
Mayence (813 ) ordered priests to wear it " without
intermission."
The present discipline restricts its presence to
those functions wherein this spiritual power is
exercised and applied. As an emblem of juris-
diction among priests it holds a significancy akin
to that of the pallium among archbishops.
What was the original name of the Stole?
Orarium.
What is its Derivation?
The origin and use of this vestment have been
a source of much research to scholars. Here is a
list of possible derivations:
(1) Ora, because used to wipe the face.
(2) Orare, because used in prayer.
(3) Hora, because it indicated the time of the
various parts of the service.
(4) Ora, (a coast) because claiming to be
originally the edging or orphrey of a lost garment.
How do Authorities vary in Determining
the Origin of the Stole?
456 The Mass and Vestments
The Council of Toledo (633) inclines to a deriva-
tion from orare, to pray. Cardinal Bona finds
its source in No. 4 and conjectures that it is
merely the ornamental selvage of what was the
real stole of the ancients. O'Brien traces its
origin to No. 3, as if it were used as a signal
cloth, to indicate the progress of the Mass, and he
claims to find corroboration of this usage of the
stole in the Eastern Church of to-day. Marriott,
Vander Stappen, Rock, Macalister, Walter Lowrie,
Gihr and all more recent liturgists find its proto-
type in No. 1, Ova, because employed as a
kerchief, towel or scarf.
According to this Theory what was its
Primitive Use?
The towel and scarf-use seems to have been
distinct and peculiar to different grades of the
clergy. For example, with deacons, the Orarium
was a towel, and then it was easily confused with
the maniple. Indeed, it is very possible that stole
and maniple went by the common name of
Orarium, when worn by a deacon. In this rela-
tion the two earliest church writers to mention
this vestment are St. Isidore of Pelusium (Ep. I,
136) and the preacher of the sermon on the
Prodigal Son, credited to St. Chrysostom. Both
call it "othone" (linteum, linen) which is the same
as our towel. It was worn by deacons on the
left shoulder. One compares it to the towel of Our
The Stole 457
Saviour when washing the Apostles' feet; an-
other recognizes in it a likeness to Angels' wings.
But the Orarion or Orarium was also a scarf.
St. Ambrose speaks of the dead face of Lazarus
as bound with an Orarium, and St. Augustine
employs the same term to describe a bandage
used to protect a wounded eye. This scarf-use
of the Orarium, peculiar to priests and bishops,
explains the mode of their wearing it, as dis-
tinguished from deacons. When a towel, it was
linen. When a scarf, its texture was that of
white wool or colored silk and worn around the
neck and under the chasuble, as it is now, for it
was properly a neck-cloth.
The tunic of those primitive days was without
collar, and the dalmatic and chasuble had aper-
tures too broad to afford any protection for the
neck. The neck demanded care in the severe
cold, and the dignity of the service prescribed that
the necks of the ministers be covered. As the
neck scarf was in vogue at the end of the Em-
pire, priests and bishops took the model and usage
of the Orarium or stole from it. When the
deacon's Orarium had become a mere ornamental
scarf it differed from that of the priest only in the
method of its wearing. For example, bishops
wore it over the chasuble, priests under the
chasuble, and deacons over the left shoulder,
hanging straight down at front and back, and not
crossed under the right arm as now.
458
The Mass and Vestments
GREEK DEACON
What looks like the
contemporary heir of
this ancient scarf as to
use and material is that
distinctly Papal vest-
ment called the Ovale
or Fanon from Jano
(banner) worn only by
a Pope when solemnly
celebrating. This Fanon
is an oblong piece of
white silk gauze about
one yard long with trans-
verse stripes of gold, blue
and red. It is cast
upon the head of the Pope like a hood, and its
two ends crossed and carried to the right and left
shoulders, and there retained until the Chasuble
is assumed, when the Fanon is thrown back and
adjusted to the neck and shoulders of the vest-
ment like a tippet.
As, however, it is also the name used for the
lappet of a mitre, and is an old form of amice, and
also the title of the linen cloth for handling the
holy vessels and the Offertory bread, its origin is
difficult to trace.
What is the History of the Ovarium in its
Civic Relations?
Originally, the word is connected with os, the
The Stole 459
mouth, of which or is the real root-form, or in its
plural form, ora, the face. Then it may be re-
garded as equivalent to our own "handkerchief."
It is curious that the earliest reliable mention of
it does not present it as a handkerchief, but as a
scarf. We first hear of it in Trebellius Pollio, a
writer of the fourth century and a contemporary
of Constantine. He narrates how the Emperor
Gallienus( 260-268) sent to Claudius, his successor,
four Oraria as an imperial present. A few years
after, the Emperor Aurelian (270-275) was the
first to distribute oraria as presents to the people,
to be used by them "a&javorem" that is probably
as colors to be worn and waved at the circus
when the public games were on, much in the
same way as ribbons of various colors are worn
now "ad favorem" among ourselves as emblems
of fraternities of rival schools.
As representing a period a little later, we recog-
nize in the group of courtiers attending the
Emperor sculptured on the arch of Constantine a
ribbon or scarf distinguishing some of them, pre-
senting nearly the appearance of a "ribbon" of
knighthood, such as is worn as an honorary dis-
tinction in our own day. This broad ribbon or
scarf corresponds in general appearance to the
orarium on the earliest ecclesiastical monuments.
The orarium was also spread over the head and
shoulders by women in time of prayer, falling
about them like a veil.
460 The Mass and Vestments
These facts create a presumption of the adapta-
tion of these oraria, with certain modifications,
to Christian use of distinctive insignia in the
Church of what had been previously used in secu-
lar life as marks of special privilege, or of official
dignity. The fact that the date of these adapta-
tions, both in East and West, is not earlier than
that "of the peace of the Church" so called, in
the time of Constantine, adds considerably to the
probability of this conjecture because of the more
fully developed organization which then first
became possible.
The vestment now known in the Western
Church as a "stole" was called orarium (not stole)
till the close of the Transition Period. The Greek
word Stole is never used in the Latin sense of a
"stole," but retains in ecclesiastical and Byzantine
Greek its older classical meaning.
What is the Meaning of ' 'Stole" according to
Classic Greek?
In the Prophet Ezekiel (chap. XLIV, v. 19) we
read: "And when they (the priests) go forth out
of the outer court they shall put off their gar-
ments." The word "garment" is translated in
the Vulgate, "Stolas" (stoles) . It is used either:
(a) As a generic term for the entire vesture
of the priest considered as a whole; or
(6) Generally in the plural Stolai, or particular
vestments spoken of as portions of that whole; or
(c) Of a vestment distinguished by beauty or rank.
The Stole 461
When in the Western Church was the Stole
used in the Technical Sense which it now Bears?
In the ninth century. By the twelfth century
the new name had superseded the ancient one
very generally. The Roman Pontifical, however,
in the ordination of a priest still employs the two
terms, "orarium" and "stole" to describe this
vestment.
What Special Decrees were Promulgated by
Councils with Reference to the Stole?
To restrain a laxity in the wearing of the stole,
the fortieth act of the Fourth Council of Toledo
(633) decreed that only one orarium is to be
worn, and by deacons over the left shoulder.
This rule does not seem to have been observed
outside Spain, for in the Pontifical of Landulfus
(ninth century) there is a representation of eccles-
iastics wearing two oraria, one over each shoulder.
The second Council of Braga, in northern
Portugal (563) decreed that "since in some
churches of this province the deacons wear their
oraria hidden under the tunic, so that they cannot
be distinguished from the sub-deacons, for the
future they must be placed over their shoulders."
The fourth Council of Braga (675) made an
important decree regulating the wearing of the
orarium by priests which has since been uni-
versally followed. The vestment was to be placed
round the neck, over each shoulder, crossed in
462
The Mass and Vestments
front and secured in this position by the girdle.
Excommunication is the the penalty for any viola-
tion of this injunction.
The Council of Mayence (813) ordered that
priests should always wear their or aria as a "dis-
tinct symbol of sacerdotal dignity" — a custom
which at present is restricted to the Pope.
What Unusual Ornaments were Carried on
the Earlier Stoles?
Many of the stoles and maniples of the Anglo-
Saxon Church had little bells of gold and silver
c.ttached to them which emitted delicate music
when the minister changed his position.
What is the Form of the Stole in the Eastern
Church?
It is called Epitra-
chelion (worn upon
the neck), and instead
of being parted as
with us to allow it to
hang equally on both
sides, it is made of
one piece, with a seam
down its middle, and
an opening at the top
wide enough to allow
it to be passed over
the priest's head. It
is suspended in front
of the priest, reaching nearly to the instep.
The Stole 463
What is the Symbolic Meaning of the Stole?
It may be ascertained by the prayers uttered in
its investiture. The bishop gives the stole to the
newly-ordained deacon with the words: "Receive
this shining white stole from the hand of God;
fulfill your ministry; for God is powerful to in-
crease His grace in you." When the bishop places
the stole on the new priest in the form of a cross,
he says: "Take upon you the yoke of the Lord;
for His yoke is sweet and His burden light."
When vesting for Mass, the priest dons the stole
saying: "Give me anew, Lord, the robe of im-
mortality, which I have lost by the prevarication
of our first parents, and although I am unworthy
to approach Thy holy Mysteries, may I yet merit
eternal joy."
CHAPTER XL.
THE CHASUBLE.
What is the Chasuble?
It is the outer, or
super-vestment which
is last assumed. In its
present form it is open
at both sides and top,
and as it is passed over
the head to rest on the
shoulders it reaches to
the knees in front,
and a few inches lower
behind.
By what Names is
it described?
(a) Amphibalus,
from the Greek, to
clothe. This was its
name in the ancient
Gallican Liturgy
which Charlemagne
suppressed at Papal
solicitation.
(6) Infula (fillet) in many documents from the
twelfth to the fifteenth century, in Germany,
■
CHASUBLE, (FRONT).
The Chasuble
465
England and France. According to classical usage,
infula meant that long band of linen or wool
which was fastened
.Z3
about the head of
pagan priests, or hung
round the neck or
body of the victims
to be offered in sacri-
fice. It was also used
as the insignia of im-
perial or magisterial
rank and had nearly
the meaning of an
"official vestment,"
the context to deter-
mine its special charac-
ter.
(c) Paenula (from
Greek phainolion, a
cloak) .
(d) Planeta, Ital-
ian Pianeta— from the same root from which our
planet is derived, viz., the Greek word to "wander,"
because its ample folds seemed to wander over the
body. This is the popular title at Rome and in
Italy.
(e) Casulp,, a diminutive of casa (a hut) be-
cause like a little house it covered the whole body.
This is the favorite name outside Italy, and hence
CHASUBLE, (BACK).
466 The Mass and Vestments
in Spanish it is "Casulla," in French, "Chasuble,"
in English, "Chasuble," in German, "Casel," in
Flemish, "Kasuifel."
The Roman Missal and the Ceremonial of
Bishops refer to it as Planeta; the Roman Ponti-
fical however as Casula sometimes.
Among these ivhich is the Oldest?
Paenula.
What is the Material of the Chasuble?
Since Amalarius of Metz speaks of the chasuble
as the "general garment of sacred leaders," its
prominence and dimensions emphasize its import-
ance in determining the impressiveness and
character of Mass vestments generally. For this
reason, its material and color regulate these quali-
ties in the remaining vestments. The color is
prescribed by the rubrics, but the material has a
wide range, such as gold cloth, brocade, silk, wool
and linen.
What is the Origin of the Chasuble?
The parent of the chasuble was an outer gar-
ment or storm cloak worn exclusively by slaves
and peasants in the beginning. Plautus (B. C.
254) makes the first mention of it in the third
century before Christ in the line:
"Jamne abis? Libertas paenula esttergo tuo."
"Are you off then? Liberty is the overcoat
for your back." — Mostellaria, or the Haunted
House. Act IV, scene 3.
The Chasuble 467
It was made of heavy woolen cloth and some-
times of leather. Instead of being wrapped about
the body like the early
toga, the head was
thrust through a hole
in the middle of it,
and the body was
snugly covered up as
under a little cabin
(casula). It was
similar to the mantles
worn by Alpine tour-
FIRST FORM OF CHASUB LE jg^ an( J J-q ^q ^q^
known as "poncho," except that it was longer
and furnished with a hood for protection
of the head from cold or wet. This primitive
shape is still retained in many parts of the
East. In the Arabic version of the Coptic
Liturgies it is called albornos (the burnous)
with which Eastern travellers are familiar.
In width and length we have many varieties
of the ancient paenula, ranging from the "fiddle-
back" chasuble of late Roman use and the
Benedictine scapular, to the full-orbed, elliptical
sweep of a later day. The gradual exaltation of
the paenula from the garb of slaves and peasants
to one which senators and Emperors might wear
in travelling is attested by Roman literature. To
wear it as an ordinary dress in the city, in Re-
publican days, was regarded as a grave breach of
468 The Mass and Vestments
etiquette and unbecoming a gentleman. As late
as the second century of our era its plebeian
associations forbade its use by an Emperor in the
city, no matter the weather. In the third century
a special permission was given by the Emperor
Alexander Severus to senators to wear the paenula
even intra Urbem (within the city).
The same decree forbade its use by women
except when on a journey. It is not till 438, that
we find the paenula installed in the place of the
older toga as the distinctive garment of peaceful
dignity, to be worn by senators to the exclusion
of the warlike chlamys. A peculiar type of
paenula called by Wilpert, "baroque" (1905) is
seen in the frescoes of the catacombs. It is very
long and full behind, but the front part is reduced
to a small triangle which barely covers the breast.
The same form seems to have been in use, at least
occasionally, in the eleventh century as demon-
strated by a picture of this date in the lower
church of St. Clement, Rome. The Roman
monuments lead us to suppose it was provided
with a hood (cucullus) except for those worn in
rainless Egypt. Even after the garment became
a liturgical vestment, a vestige of the hood was
preserved in the adornment, just as it is on the
cope.
It was always dark in color, usually a chestnut
brown, and in Egypt, brown or purple, solid
throughout, without ornament, though the nar-
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470 The Mass and Vestments
row rectangular form was occasionally adorned
with the clavus.
Mention Some Examples of its Use in the
Early Church?
Many commentators suppose the cloak left by
St. Paul at Troas with Carpus, which Timothy
was to bring to Rome was a paenula (2 Tim. IV.
13) . The mosaics of the catacombs, the mosaic
portrait of St. Ambrose and the testimony of
Sulpicius Severus (Dialog 2. 1) in reference to St.
Martin of Tours (397) that he was accustomed
to celebrate the Eucharist in a tunic and amphi-
balus are decisive proofs of the broad, round
paenula.
Are the Three Names, Casula, Paenula and
Planeta Identical?
There is a strong probability that in form they
were substantially the same. In the sixth and
seventh centuries, however, a custom prevailed of
distinguishing the casula as the humbler, simpler
dress proper to poor men and monks, and the
Planeta as the handsomer and more costly habit
worn in ordinary life at Rome alike by senators
and Popes, and in Spain, if not elsewhere, as the
distinctive vestments of bishops and priests. The
mosaic of St. Gregory and his father Gordianus,
a Roman senator, represents them as wearing the
Planeta.
The Chasuble
471
Where is the First Mention of the Planeta
as a Sacred Vestment?
In the Acts of the Council of Toledo (633). Even
then it is spoken of not as an innovation or new
garment, but as the recognized habit of bishops
and priests. St, Isidore who presided at that
Council thus describes it:
"The Casula is a gar-
ment provided with a cowl,
the name being a diminu-
tive from casa, a house,
because like a little house
it covers the whole man.
In like manner people say
that in Greek Planetae
are so called because the
border of the planeta
"wanders" in vague lines
about the body. For which
cause some stars are called "planetae" as implying
that their movement is erratic and divergent."
What is the Liturgical Usage for the Triple
Name of this Vestment?
There is no evidence to show that a vestment
of Christian ministry was ever called paenula in
the Latin churches, nor casula before the ninth
century. Planeta was the name given to the
super-vestment of the priesthood until the end of
the eighth century.
ANCIENT CHASUBLE
CHASUBLE OF 13-15TH
CENTURY
472
The Mass and Vestments
When did the Planeta h come a Liturgical
Vestment?
In the fifth century. Until the eighth century
it was worn in common by those in Minor Orders.
Subsequent to that time it became the exclusive
vestment of bishops and priests in the celebration
of Mass, and also of deacons and sub-deacons with
certain modifications. For example, the deacon
and sub-deacon in High Mass during Advent and
Lent wear chasubles folded in front, laying them
aside during the chanting of the Gospel and
Epistle — a custom mentioned by Hugo St. Victor
(1140).
How Long did it Retain its Original Form?
Until the fifteenth century.
Why was its Primitive Form Changed?
Because of the diffi-
culty of providing a
pliant, suitable mater-
ial,especially in the six-
teenth century. The
introduction of the
stiff, board-like cloth
would have seriously
encumbered the cele-
brant if the ancient
shape had been ad-
hered to. To facilitate
his movements a slit
CHASUBLE OF
ST. THOMAS OF CANTERBURY,
TWELFTH CENTURA
The Chasuble
473
was cut in both sides, and thus the first step was
taken in the development of the modern chasuble.
Another reason was the inconvenience of cele-
brating Mass with the old-style chasuble without
the aid of a deacon and sub-deacon, as in many
parts of the service it was necessary to fold and
lift it up. As assistant ministers were not always
at hand, and as private Masses became more
frequent, a form of chasuble easily controlled by
the priest became indispensable.
The only trace of
the ancient chasu-
ble now existing is
discernible in a bis- ! ,' <
hop's Mass, for the •; '
maniple is not as-
sumed until after
the "Conflteor," be-
cause it was then
the assistants gath-
ered up and arrang-
ed the borders of the
encircling chasuble
upon the arms preparatory to the bishop's ascend-
ing the steps of the altar.
Where is the Original Form of the Primitive
Chasuble still Retained?
In the Greek Church,
HALF ANTIQUE CHASUBLE
FIFTEENTH CENTURY
474
The Mass and Vestments
(.REKK VESTMENTS
What are the Prevailing Styles of Chasuble
in the Latin Church?
The Gothic, the Roman, the Gallican or French,
the chasuhle of St. Charles Borromeo, which
approximated the
Gothic, and the
chasuble of Gavan-
tus the famous lit-
urgist of the seven-
teenth century.
How do these
Chas i ( bles differ ?
In form there is a
general conformity,
and in dimensions
there is a varying
curtailment.
ItF.RNARDINE CHASUBLE
The Chasuble 475
What is the present status of the Gothic
Chasuble as a Liturgic Vestment?
About 1850 there was a revival of the early
Gothic, or pointed vestment accompanying a re-
newal of interest in Gothic architecture in Eng-
land, France, Germany and Belgium, as a protest
against the inartistic abridgment of the chasuble,
and the question of its legitimacy was referred to
the Sacred Congregation of Rites, who in turn
assigned the whole subject to John Corazza, the
Master of Apostolic Ceremonies, for final judg-
ment. His decision was:
(1) That the Gothic chasuble was improper
and must be discontinued.
(2) That all chasubles must conform to the
Roman pattern.
This verdict was given in 1859, and it was not
recorded till 1888. Meanwhile, in 1863, Cardinal
Patrizi, the Prefect of the Congregation, on in-
formation that the decision was unacceptable to
many bishops, because the Gothic chasuble had
been a favorite vestment for many centuries,
sent a letter to the Cardinal archbishop of
Mechlin in which the verdict of 1859 was held in
abeyance, and the bishops were invited to com-
municate to Rome the reasons for the introduction
of the Gothic chasuble in their respective dioceses.
There the matter rests. The reasons were not
forthcoming, and according to Vander Stappen,
476
The Mass and Vestment?
whilst the decision of Corazza fixes the norma of
the chasuble, it is not definitive, and the way is
still open for perhaps a favorable sentence for the
Gothic type according to the Borromean and
Gavantus pattern still worn in many churches.
CHASUBLE Of
ST. CHARLES B JRROMEO
CHASUBLR OF GAVANTUS
By a decree of August 23, 1889, prescribing
the form of chasuble to be worn by missionaries
of the Latin rite in the East, the Gothic chasuble
was interdicted, which is interpreted as applicable
only to the ample chasuble of the Greeks.
WJiy are Folded Chasubles Rather than
Dalmatics Worn by Deacon and Sub-deacon in
Penitential. Seasons ?
(a) Because the dalmatic was regarded from
the earliest age as a festal garment, and, therefore,
unsuited for a function in which the note of
penance predominated.
(6) The dalmatic originated in the middle of
the fourth century and was localized at Rome.
The Chasuble 477
It had reached Milan and Aries in the fifth cen-
tury and the Universal Church only in the ninth.
This would leave a wide margin of antiquity de-
void of it. Its place in those years was filled by
the chasuble worn alike by all ranks of the
clergy. The use of the chasuble as a substitute
is an echo of that time — a form of reminiscence
cherished by the Church. The temporary folds
or plaits in front suggest the primitive all-encom-
passing planeta which required to be gathered
back to leave the arms unimpeded. The present
form of chasuble does not call for this treatment,
but the object of it is rather reminiscent than
practical. Likewise the deacon's assumption of
the broad stole (stolone) in the active functions
of the service bespeaks the chasuble rolled up and
hung over his shoulder like a soldier's great coat,
and also the impeding inconvenience of the early
chasuble.
(c) The custom of discarding the dalmatic on
penitential days began in Rome, and by the
twelfth century the custom was universal. On
such days the deacon either had no vestment over
the alb, or put on instead the so-called planeta
plicata (folded chasuble) of a dark hue. The
only exception was Maundy Thursday when
festal vestments were worn. In early times the
dalmatic was rarely worn at requiem Masses, and
it is only since the end of the Middle Ages its use
has become general in solemn Masses for the dead.
478
The Mass and Vestments
Within Advent and Lent the usage now demands
either the folded chasuble for deacon and sub-
deacon or the alb without dalmatic.
What is the Symbolic Significancy of the
Chasuble?
It is an emblem of charity which clothes the
soul as the vestment envelops the body. In assum-
ing the chasuble the celebrant says: "0 Lord,
who hast said: 'My yoke is sweet and my burden
light/ grant that I may so carry it as to merit
Thy grace."
RUSSIAN GREEK VESTMENTS
CHAPTER XLI.
COLOR OF VESTMENTS.
What was the Original Color of Vestments?
In the oldest representations of ecclesiastics, to
which we have access, their vestments were pure
white ornamented with clavi (stripes); these
were generally black, though St. Isidore refers to
purple clavi. Previous to the tenth century,
colored vestments are discernible in mosaics and
fresco-paintings, but the combination of colors
is so peculiar as to suggest a color-effect of
artists to distinguish the various vestments from
the background, and from each other. Benedict
XIV, however, whilst affirming that vestments
were white down to the beginning of the fourth
century, also says that in that and succeeding
centuries the practice developed of using a di-
versity of colors, as is demonstrated in monuments
earlier than the seventh century.
\fyho First Mentions Colored Vestment*?
Pope Innocent III in the thirteenth century.
How many Colors were in Vogue in his
Day?
Four: White, red, black and green. Violet is
omitted, but must have been introduced soon after,
as Durandus (1280) makes special mention of it.
t8< The Mass and Vestments
How many Color* are Prescribed Now'
Five: White, red, green, violet and black.
Are there any Supplementary Color*'
Rose-colored vestments are permitted on the
third Sunday of Advent and the fourth of Lent,
because then the prevailing penitential supplica-
tion of chant and prayer in the Liturgy is relaxed
and a more joyous tone assumed.
Blue vestments by special Papal grant are al-
lowed in the dioceses of Spain on the feast and
during the octave of the Immaculate Conception,
and on all Saturdays when a votive Mass of the
Blessed Virgin is permitted. On all those days
the use of the blue vestments is of obligation. In
all other countries, they are absolutely forbidden,
and to emphasize this prohibition, the decree
granting the privilege to Spain is expunged from
the recent edition of Decrees, not because the
Spanish privilege is revoked, but to offset and
frustrate the hope of obtaining a similar permis-
sion for any other local diocese.
Yellow vestments, as a rule, are forbidden
whether of silk, brocade, wool or linen.
By a decree, however, of December 6, 1868,
vestments of gold cloth are allowed and may be
substituted for all other colors, except violet and
black. This concession also applies to a yellow
vestment partly woven of gold thread, but does
not include the gold imitation.
Color of Vestments 481
What is the Prescribed Color oj the Amice,
Alb and Cincture?
White for the amice and alb. The cincture
may conform to the color of the vestments.
What is the Obligation of the Rubric Relatm
to the Color of Vestments?
It is a precept of grave obligation. Rubricists
agree, however, that prescinding scandal, there
may exist circumstances where the rubric would
not be compelling, as for example, the poverty of
a church, and so great a demand made by officiat-
ing priests as to exhaust the appropriate colors.
What is the Symbolism of Vestment Colors?
White signifies purity and innocency of life—
also glory and joy.
Red typifies fervor of spirit and charity,
because the Holy Ghost descended upon the
Apostles in fiery tongues — also blood shed for
charity and faith.
Green bespeaks hope. As pilgrims and soldiers
we walk through a weary life, struggling as we
walk, and we should not faint on the way because
we are sustained by Our Lord, who in person hath
visited us, and by the grace of His Holy Spirit,
and, therefore, like the living branch whose
life is renewed, we should journey with an inde-
structible hope toward our true country. Because
green holds a mid-place between white, black and
482 The Mass and Vestments
red, it is used when there is neither special joy-
ousness, nor penitential lowliness, nor the pro-
found sorrow of death.
Violet symbolizes the crucifixion and chastening
of the body, and is used when the dominant note
is that of penance and fast, and to denote sorrow
for sin and hope of pardon.
Black represents death which robs us of the
light of life and consigns us to the darkness of the
grave. Its use voices our grief at the death of our
Redeemer on Good Friday, and of His creatures
whilst they are detained in Purgatory.
When are these various Colors Used?
White from the Nativity to the octave of
Epiphany and from Holy Saturday to the vigil of
Pentecost, in the Office and Feast of the Blessed
Sacrament, in the Mass of Holy Saturday, on all
feasts of Our Blessed Lord, except Good Friday,
of the Blessed Virgin, of the Angels, of the
Nativity of John the Baptist, of Pontiffs, Con-
fessors, Doctors, Virgins who are not martyrs,
holy women who are neither virgins nor martyrs
and on the feast of All Saints.
As exceptions to the general use of white, it is
also the rubrical color on the feast of the Chair of
St. Peter, at Rome, January 18, of the Chair of St.
Peter at Antioch, January 22, St. Peter in Chains,
August 1, Conversion of St. Paul, January 25, St.
John, Apostle and Evangelist, December 27, al-
Color of Vestments 483
though red is prescribed for the feast of St. John
before the Latin Gate, May 6.
Red on feasts of the Holy Ghost, of Apostles,
martyrs, male or female, the Beheading of John
the Baptist, and on the day of the octave of the
Holy Innocents.
Violet in Advent, from Septuagesima Sunday
through Lent, until the Office of Holy Saturday
before the Mass, and on the feast of the Holy
Innocents, when it does not fall on Sunday.
Green on the Sundays from the octave of
Epiphany to Septuagesima, and from the octave
of Pentecost to Advent, when a feast of a higher
rank of another color does not intervene.
Black on Good Friday, and in all the Offices and
Masses for the dead.
CHAPTER XLII.
SUPPLEMENTARY VESTMENTS.
PAPAL.
When the Pope officiates solemnly, besides the
Episcopal and Archiepiscopal vestments, he wears
the Succinctorium, a maniple-shaped garment
worn on his left side, and the fanone, a striped
silk tippet.
He is attended by a Greek and Latin deacon and
sub-deacon, and the Epistle and Gospel are sung
in Latin and Greek. As he proceeds to the altar
he is met by the three youngest Cardinal priests,
whom he embraces in memory of Christ's first
interview with His disciples after the Resurrection.
He receives of the chalice through a golden tube,
as also the deacon and sub-deacon from the same
chalice, the deacon standing and through the tube,
the sub-deacon kneeling and from the chalice
direct. The sub-deacon then purifies the chalice
and the tube, and in the meantime the Pope re-
ceives the ablutions in another chalice offered him
by the senior Cardinal priest, finishes the Mass,
venerates the relics, and in the Papal days blessed
the people assembled in the great square of St.
Peter's.
The tube was an ordinary accompaniment of
the chalice when the laity received Communion
S I PPLEMENTARY VESTMENTS
485
^f
under both species to prevent even accidental ir-
reverence. It was called tube, calamus, fistula,
canna, virgula, siphon and pugillaris.
The Tiara— thus
named in French,
Italian, Latin and
Greek as designa-
ting a Persian head-
dress — is the triple
Papal crown worn
for the first time
by the Popes dur-
ing their residence
at Avignon. The
monument of Bene-
dict XII (1334-
1342) in the Ca-
thedral of Avignon
represents the Pope
with a tiara or triple
crown and this is its earliest appearance. It is a
three-fold crown because it bears an historic,
mystic and doctrinal significancy. The Popes in
exile at Avignon emphasized by the tiara their
sovereignty as supreme pontiffs, kings of Rome
and bestowers of the imperial dignity.
Sirleti says it is a memorial of the crowns given
the Roman Pontiffs by Constantine, Clovis and
Charlemagne. John XXII interprets it as ex-
TIARA AND PAPAL COAT-OF ARMS'
486 The Mass and Vestments
hibiting the power of the Popes over the Church
militant, suffering and triumphant. Theologians
define it as a symbol of three-fold authority,
doctrinal, sacramental and pastoral, or the Papal
power as derived from a triple source, knowledge,
authority and influence.
Others explain it as symbolic of the triple mis-
sion of Christ: Prophet, Priest and Pastor. The
tiara is worn in processions, but always gives place
to the mitre in functions purely spintual.
CARDINALITIAL.
The most conspicuous among the cardinal's
insignia is the red hat — a broad-brimmed, low-
crowned hat, the peculiar appanage of the cardi-
nalate as a crown is of royalty. Its purpose is
typical and suggestive rather than practical. It is
never donned save at the moment of investiture.
After death it is suspended over the tomb as that
of Richelieu in the Sorbonne, Paris, or in the titu-
lar church of the cardinal. A survey of the ceil-
ing of these churches will bring into view high in
air the dust-covered and once coveted red hat of
its departed wearer.
It was first worn by the cardinal envoys of the
Pope. It was granted to the secular cardinals by
Innocent IV, at the Synod of Lyons in 1245, and
to the cardinals of religious Orders by Gregory
XIV in 1591. These latter wear beside the dis-
tinctive habit of their Order.
Supplementary Vestments 487
The red (scarlet) biretta probably granted by
Paul II (1464-1471) is the ordinary head dress of
the cardinals. Boniface VIII (1294-1303) gave
them the right to wear scarlet, particularly a
scarlet mantle. They also wear a ring with a
sapphire stone in their own titular church, the
mitre of damask silk, crosier and pectoral cross.
A baldachino covers the cardinalitial throne. By
a decree of May 14, 1905, Pius X permitted cardi-
nal priests and cardinal deacons to wear every-
where the pectoral cross, even in presence of the
Pope.
During the vacancy of the Apostolic See, the
color of the cardinal's dress is saffron.
ARCHIEPISCOPAL.
Pallium .
The early history of the Pallium is involved in
deep obscurity. There is a wide divergence be-
tween its classical and ecclesiastical significancy.
Whilst the toga was the badge of Roman citizen-
ship, the pallium was at first a distinctive Greek
mantle, which afterwards evolved into a garment
representing the cosmopolitan aspect of the
Empire. It was ordinarily worn over the tunic,
but the philosophers, to emphasize the simplicity
of their lives, wore it without a tunic, leaving the
right shoulder bare. It was so worn by Justin
Martyr and many of the early Christian teachers.
Tradition also affirms that it was the dress of
488 The Mass and Vestments
Christ and the Apostles which explains the Chris-
tian preference for it. A suggestion of its import-
ance is indicated by Tertullian's remarkable trac-
tate, De Pallio, and also by the fact, that whilst
the toga is only once represented in the pictures
of the catacombs, the pallium appears very
frequently between the second and the fourth
century, and even long after it had ceased to be
used actually in common life.
Like the toga it was a woolen garment, usually
white and without decorations, except at the four
corners which were ornamented with tapestry
designs.
It was merely a rectangular piece of cloth, three
times as long as broad, and wrapped about the
body in this fashion: One-third hung down in
front over the left shoulder to the knee and
enveloped the upper arm; the remaining two-
thirds was drawn across the back, under the right
arm and across the front, covering the whole body
to the ankles, and again thrown over the left
shoulder where it was fastened with a pin or
simply thrown over the left fore-arm.
Of this classical use and material of the pallium
there is neither controversy nor uncertainty. The
difficulty begins with the effort to trace the origin
of the ecclesiastical pallium. Between the ancient
Greek pallium and the collar worn by Roman
archbishops there would seem to be nothing in
Supplementary Vestments 489
common but the name, And yet the kinship of
a name may suggest a substantial agreement
between them.
Dr. Rock is of the opinion that the original
pallium was only a shrinkage of the Roman toga
"dwindling down to a mere broad band," folded
in the same fashion. Macalister believes it was a
modification of the Orarium or stole, and seeks its
origin in the honorable orarium distributed as
"favors" to the Roman people. Addis and Arnold
in the Catholic Dictionary conjecture that as the
garment was tucked around the neck in running
or other violent exercise, this suggested its present
liturgic form. Wilpert after a close study of the
frescoes of the catacombs concludes there was,
beside the garment, also a pallium-scarf which
developed into the ecclesiastical pallium, and the evi-
dence he adduces in confirmation of this theory is
conclusive enough to create a strong presumption
of its truth.
The archiepiscopal pallium is a band of white
wool worn on the shoulders. Its earliest form is
shown in the Ravenna mosaics— that of a narrow
slip of cloth passed over the left shoulder, looped
loosely around the neck, and then passed over the
left shoulder again so that the two ends hang
free, one in front, the other behind. Its next
evolution was to bring the free end to the middle,
and knotting it into the lowest point of the loop.
The final form is that of an oval, with a long tail
490
The Mass and Vestments
ANCIENT FRESCO OK ST. CLEMENT AT THE ALTAR.
FROM THE SUBTERRANEAN CHURCH OF ST CLEMENTE, ROME.
ILLUSTRATING THE PALLIUM,
ELEVENTH CENTURY
pendent representing a capital Y on the front and
back, and four black crosses worked on the oval
and one on each pendant.
It is worn by the Pope and sent by him to
patriarchs, primates, archbishops and sometimes to
bishops as a token that they possess the "fullness
of the Episcopal office." The bishoprics which
possess this unique privilege as a symbol of honor,
but not jurisdiction, are Autun, Bamberg, Dol,
Lucca, Ostia, Pavia and Verona.
The first certain example of this concession of
a pallium is the grant made to St. Caesarius of
Aries by Pope Symmachus in 513.
Supplementary Vestments
m
/
ANCIENT FRESCO IN S. MARIA IN TRASTEYKRE. ROME.
ILLUSTRATING THE PALLIUM,
ANNO 1130.
On the morning of St. Agnes' day (January 21)
in each year, two lambs are brought to this Saint's
church by the Apostolic sub-deacons and delivered
over to the canons of St. John Lateran. They in
turn consign them to the charge of the nuns of
Torre de Specchi, where they are kept and fed.
When they are shorn, the wool is woven by the
nuns into pallia. On the eve of the feast of SS.
Peter and Paul, they are taken to St. Peter's
church and there blessed, and placed by the sub-
deacons on the tomb of St. Peter, where they re-
main over night. They are then enclosed in a
silver-gilt box to await bestowal on a new arch-
bishop as coming from the tomb of the Apostle.
vr_
The Mass and Vestment.-
EPISCOPAL.
MITRE. FOURTEENTH CENTURY
hood. A band {injula
Mitre.
The mitre is the headdress worn by bishops,
abbots and by special distinguished ecclesiastics,
like protonotaries Apos-
tolic and, in Spain, by
the queen's confessors
and the canons of cer-
tain churches. The name
is derived from the
Greek, Mitros{ a thread).
A headgear of some sort
was the distinguishing
feature of the priest-
was worn by heathen
priests, and the Jewish priests wore a cap or tur-
ban which the Septuagint translates by Mitra
(mitre) for the cap of the high priest, and, again,
Kidaris is applied to the head-covering of the
priests of the second order. The Vulgate follows
the Septuagint, sometimes using mitra, some-
times kidaris, and occasionally tiara.
Menard after a careful research into the ancient
Liturgies concludes that the mitre was not in use
prior to the year 1000. Contemporary art bears
out this statement, and Hefele concurs by writing:
"It is not till the eleventh century that representa-
tions of Popes, bishops and abbots with the mitre
occur; though from that time onwards they are
Supplementary Vestments
493
very numerous." An illuminated picture of St.
Dunstan in a MS. preserved in the British museum
JEWISH HIGH PRIEST
I.EVITICAL PRIEST OF THE
SECOND ORDER
is the earliest representation of a bishop's head-
dress of any liturgic value, and this is of the
early years of the eleventh century. It shows a
simple, cloth cap, low and hemispherical, without
any trace of the mitral cleft, kept in position by
two ribbons which were knotted at the back of
the head. The first grant of the Roman mitre
was from Leo IX to the archbishop of Treves in
1049, and according to Gavantus the first to an
abbot was by the crusading Pope, Urban II in 1091.
494
The Mass and Vestments
When the art works of the thirteenth century
represent for the first time the straight lines and
sharp point familiar in the Gothic mitre, and those
of the fourteenth, the Italian mitre with its
greater height and curved lines, the ribbons of the
primitive mitre had lost their usefulness and be-
come mere ornaments, and these infulse or lappets
were enriched with the best needlework of the
embroiderer. Plain w T hite linen was the original
material of the mitre until the twelfth century, to
be superseded by silk and elaborate decoration in
the thirteenth.
Unlike other vestments which are classified by
their predominant colors, mitres are catalogued by
the manner of their ornamentation. The mitre
SEMI-PRECIOUS MITRE
SIMPLE MITRE PRECIOUS MITRE
Supplementary Vestments
495
made of white linen or silk, with little or no en-
richment is a mitra simplex (simple mitre); one
ornamented richly with embroidery, but without
precious metals or stones is called a mitra auri-
frigiata (faint or languid of gold ) , and one in which
precious metals or stones are employed in its
decoration, a mitra pretiosa (precious mitre).
The Ceremonial of Bishops appoints the times
when these different mitres are to be worn.
EPISCOPAL SKULLCAP
Zucchetto.
It is derived from the Italian zuccha (a gourd)
and is a closely-fitting skull-cap,
saucer-shaped, in color red,
violet or black, suitable to the
rank of the wearer. Originally
introduced to protect the crown
of the head bared by the tonsure, it is now worn
oblivious of that need. It is called also Calotte
(shell), Pileolus (small cap), Birretino (Biretta),
and Submitrale, because worn under the bishop's
mitre.
Unlike the Biretta, or ordinary head-covering,
the zucchetto may, by per-
mission, be worn from the
beginning of the Mass to the
Preface, exclusive, and from
the Communion to the end —
never, however, during the
Canon. It is red for cardinals,
EPISCOPAL BIRETTA
496 The Mass and Vestments
purple for patriarchs, archbishops and bishops,
and black for priests. The privilege of wearing a
purple zucchetto was not shared by bishops until
June, 1867, when it was granted by Pius IX.
Pectoral Cross.
The pectoral cross is a small cross of precious
metal worn on the breast by bishops, abbots and
specially designated canons and
prelates. As an official ornament
it is comparatively of late intro-
duction. It first appears in the
writings of Innocent III (1161-
1216) and Durandus, and seems
to have been then exclusively a
papal possession. Dr. Rock has
been unable to find any trace of
the pectoral cross appearing on
the breast of an ordinary bishop
before the sixteenth century. Some writers are of
opinion that the pectoral cross was originally a
reliquary, and in this connection it is in accordance
with the facts to maintain that it serves the same
purpose now, in addition to its character as a dis-
tinct Episcopal insignia. In reference to the relic
of the true Cross contained in the pectoral cross,
the Cardinal Vicar of Rome, by order of Leo XIII,
in a letter to all the bishops bearing date March
25, 1889, reminds them that since these relics
may become exhausted, the pectoral cross of a
PECTORAL CROSS
Supplementary Vestments
497
deceased bishop is to be transmitted to his successor
as his lawful heir, and the proper authorities of the
vacant See are instructed to execute this injunction.
Tunic and Dalmatic
These will be described later as sacerdotal vest-
ments. It is merely necessary to say here that
they are worn by the bishop because he possesses
the plentitude of the priesthood and is entitled to
wear the distinctive vestments of every rank of
the sacred ministry.
Crazier.
St. Isidore says'the pastoral staff was given to
a bishop, "that he may rule or
correct those set under him, or
support the weakness of the
weak."
It had a prototype among the
insignia of the heathen priest-
hood of the Hittites and Baby-
lonians, and one of the emblems
of the Roman augurs was a lituus
or crook, with which they divided
the sky into regions for astro-
nomical purposes. Whether by
accident or design the earliest
pastoral staves, as seen in the be-
ginnings of Christian art, bear
an exact resemblance to this
augurial crook, being much
ROMAN CR.OZ1ER
49S
The Mass and \estments
shorter than the medieval crozier. This re-
semblance has suggested to some the theory that
the pastoral staff was merely a Christian adapta-
tion of this pagan implement.
Other writers argue in
favor of the crozier being
simply the decorated and
specialized heir of the com-
mon walking-sticks used in
churches as a support before
the introduction of seats, a
conjecture devoid of evi-
dential value for the reason
that the pastoral staff had
been installed among Episco-
pal insignia before the disap-
pearance of these crutches.
The letter of Pope Celestine
(423-432) to the bishops of
Narbonne and Vienne is the
earliest available reference
to the use of the pastoral staff by bishops, thus
establishing it as one of the very primitive ex-
ternal symbols of authority adopted by the
Church. It was earned by abbots, abbesses,
bishops and by the Pope until about the tenth
century, when the culmination of his temporal
sovereignty and the affirmation and acceptance
of his jurisdiction over the universal Church
effected the laying aside of an emblem which was
(JREEK CROZIER
Supplementary Vestments 499
associated with a local spiritual pastorate. In-
nocent III explains farther by saying that "the
blessed St. Peter sent his staff to Eucharius, the
first bishop of Treves, which staff is preserved
with great reverence in its cathedral," and St.
Thomas Aquinas confirms this tradition ( Senten.
IV, quest. 3, art. 3) when he records that for
this reason the Pope carries the pastoral staff
when pontificating in Treves.
In the beginning, the crozier was a rod of wood
with a head crutched or crooked, usually of one of
the precious metals. There is not always uniform-
ity in the shape of the head: knobs, crooks, Y shapes
and the inverted U form of the Irish staff meet us
in a bewildering medley. As late as the eleventh
century the tau-shaped crozier appears on many
monuments.
After that period the crook-headed staff is the
only form in which it is found. The material was
cedar, cypress or ebony. This wood was often
gilt, or overlaid with silver plates. In the twelfth
centurv the staff was shod with iron and sur-
mounted with a knob of crystal, above which the
crook of carved work was attached. Suspended
to the top of the staff was a streamer or napkin,
sometimes called pannisellum (a small silk veil)
like the lappet of the mitre, injula (fillet). Its
primitive use was to serve as a covering to keep
the moisture of the hand from tarnishing the
metal of the staff. Some abbots still retain this
500
The Mass and Vestments
appendage to their croziers. According to present
usage the material is not prescribed, although the
metal crozier is in almost universal favor.
Whilst the popular conception of the crozier
allies it, by an inaccurate etymological analogy,
with the word cross, the true derivation identifies
it with such words as our crotchet and crook.
Its symbolism with a shepherd's staff is the pre-
vailing interpretation of its form now, as it has been
with the medieval mystics, although Honorius finds
its prototype in the staff of the Lord's instruction
to the Apostles, "take nothing save a staff only."
Tradition thus inscribed the antique crozier:
round the crook, "cum iratus Jueris, misericor-
dise recordaberis," (when thou art angered, for-
get not mercy); on the ball below the crook,
"Homo" (man); on the spike of the bottom,
"Parce" (spare).
Gremial.
From gremium (the lap), a square knee-covering
or apron of pre-
cious material,
placed on the
lap of the offi-
ciating bishop,
both at Mass
and the confer-
ring of Orders
to prevent the soiling of the vestments from the
superimposed hands.
GKKMIAI.
Supplementary Vestments 501
Ring.
In Rome of the classical period rings were used
as insignia of rank, and members of the equestrian
order wore a ring of special pattern. It is men-
tioned by St. Isidore of Seville in the Acts of the
Fourth Council of Toledo, and then it vanishes from
all the pages of the liturgists of the early medieval
period until the eleventh and twelfth centuries,
when Honorius of Autun and Pope Innocent III
refer to it. On two points is the evidence of the
monuments decisive: first, that the bishop wore
many other rings besides the Episcopal ring, they
probably being ornamental and secular; second,
that it was worn on the third finger of the right
hand, and above the second joint of that finger,
not being passed, as rings are now, down to the
knuckle. It was kept in place by a plain guard-
ring.
The ring was always a circlet with a precious
stone, never engraved, ruby, emerald or sapphire,
and often large enough to pass over the gloved
finger.
Gloves.
These are called chirothecse or manicae, and
must always be distinguished from the manicce
brachialia, or sleeves of coarse cloth which the
bishop drew over his arm to protect the apparels
of his alb from the water in baptism by immer-
502
The Mass and Vestments
sion. The coldness and cheerlessness
early churches were responsible for
them, and their original use was very
probably to keep the wearer's hands
warm. About the ninth century they
began to assume a sacred character,
and by the twelfth, Honorius is able
to classify them as vestments. Gloves
of this period were richly embroidered
and jewelled, and often a large stone
appears at the back of each hand.
BISHOP'S
GLOVE
Rochet.
The word is derived from the French, the
French from the low
Latin rochettus, and
that again from the old
High German hroch,
rooch, identical with the
modern High German
Rock (a coat) . It is a
vestment of linen and
lace — body linen, lace
trimming, with close
sleeves reaching to the
hands and worn by
bishops, abbots, canons
sometimes, and prelates
of the higher rank. It
ROCHET
Supplementary Vestments
503
is distinguished from the surplice, which it re-
sembles, by the length and closeness of its sleeves.
Priests privileged to wear it must consider it a
choir vestment and cannot wear it in the ad-
ministration of the sacraments. The mozzetta
and uncovered rochet are signs of plenary juris-
diction.
Mozzetta.
From Mozzo, mutilus, (curtailed)
vestment of velvet or
silk worn over the
rochet, buttoned over
the breast, covering
the shoulders and with
a little hood behind.
It is worn by the Pope,
cardinals, bishops, ab-
bots and privileged
canons like those of
England. The Pope
wears five varieties of
mozzetta and cardinals four
to the rank of the wearer.
A short
MOZZETTA
Its color conforms
Cappa Magna.
This imposing vestment is allied to the Cope.
The barbarous word cappa from capere (to
cover) was first used to designate the pluviale
or cope. It is a vestment of silk or fur (ermine)
504
The Mass and Vestments
according to the sea-
son, completely en-
veloping the shoulders
and bust of the
wearer and tapering
behind with an unus-
ually long, full silk
train. It is worn by
cardinals, bishops and
some canons.
Stockings.
The stock-
ings (caligse)
or buskins
seem to have
been originally
an exclusive Papal
appropriation, bishops being content with a some-
what scanty sandal. Ivo of Chartres (1115) is the
first to mention them as belonging to the Episcopal
wardrobe. In the Middle ages, they, like some
other vestments, forsook their primitive simplicity
and became enriched with elaborate ornamenta-
tion, to return to it again in our day with the
plain, unadorned silk stocking.
Sandals, Slippers.
The Roman citizen in the early days for foot-
gear wore mere soles secured across the instep by
CAPPA MAGNA
Supplementary Vestments 505
one or more thongs of leather to protect the feet
from stony roads. Such a sandal must have been
worn by the clergy long after the introduction of
Christianity. It was and still is the only foot-
covering of certain monastic Orders, and in some
cases was retained by the monks who had attained
to Episcopal rank. The extension of the Church
in the northern and colder regions, and the im-
portation of foreign customs into Rome itself
suggested the transformation of the scanty
sandal into a more appropriate and comfortable
shoe.
By a curious contrivance, however, the remem-
brance of the old fashion was preserved. The upper
leather of the shoes was fenestrated, or cut into open-
work patterns through which the flesh tint of the
bare foot could be seen. The effect was merely
heightened when the Episcopal stocking was
added to the bishop's equipment.
This fenestrated sandal was abandoned about
the fourteenth century in favor of shoes, very
much like the modern ankle-shoe. In relinquish-
ing the decorative effect of the open-work, the
spirit of the age found a substitute in lavish em-
broidery and ornamentation with jewels and
spangles of gold. In this way, the Episcopal
slipper, to be worn only when pontificating, be-
came as elaborate as the rest of the ecclesiastical
vestments.
506 The Mass and Vestments
sacerdotal.
Biretta.
The ordinary head-covering of ecclesiastics, a
diminutive derivation from birrus (cape or hood) .
Its present form is that of a
stiff, square cap with three
or four prominences rising
from its crown and a tassel
pendent, or attached to the
biretta centre of the crown. Doc-
tors in theology by right wear the four-
cornered biretta whilst teaching. By prescription,
priests in France, Germany and Spain wear the
three and four-cornered birettas indiscriminately.
In Italy, however, the three-cornered alone is worn.
Benedict XIV testifies that in Rome and many
other places till the ninth century the biretta was
unknown, as up to that time the head of the
celebrant in approaching and receding from the
altar was covered by an amice. At its first intro-
duction it had two forms as appears from the
medieval monuments: one, a simple dome-shaped
skullcap with a point in the centre, worn by uni-
versity dons. Its present fashion comprising an
auxiliary of stiff card-board and prominent pro-
jections was soon adopted as a convenience for
manipulation and adjustment to the head. The
material then was a woolen cloth. It may still be
wool, silk or any proper stuff.
Supplementary Vestments 507
In the beginning its color was consonant with
the ordinary ecclesiastical vestments. Since the
tenth century when black was prescribed for the
inferior clergy, the black biretta is the legitimate
head-covering.
There are four varieties of color now in vogue:
white, red, purple and black; white for the Pope,
red for cardinals, purple for bishops and black for
priests.
Since February 3, 1888, by concession of Leo
XIII, bishops are allowed to wear the purple
biretta. Prior to that time it was black lined with
green. Cardinals and bishops may also wear the
black biretta.
The biretta is appointed to be worn in the sanctu-
ary during the less solemn portions of the Mass.
At the altar, however, the celebrant, be he the
highest dignitary, is forbidden its use. This
universal custom is trespassed upon by only one
exception— that of the catholic missionaries in
China. This concession is made to the prejudice
of the Chinese to a head bared in public. Paul V
(1605-1621) granted to these missionaries the
privilege of wearing the biretta even at the Con-
secration of the Mass, with this restriction, that it
be not the biretta of every day life.
The older religious Orders discard the biretta
entirely for the cowl.
508 The Mass and Vestments
Cassock.
The cassock, called in French casaque, but
more commonly soutane, is that long, outer, black
garment worn by priests in their rectories and at
all sacred functions. In
some countries it is also
a street and travel-worn
vesture. The members
of religious Orders call
it a habit. Formerly it
was called pellicia or
pelisse from pellis (skin
or hide), because some-
times it was made of the
skins of animals, and
oftener with cloth lined
with fur. Hence the
word surplice — some-
thing worn over a fur-lined garment.
It was long after the twelfth century before
the cassock became the exclusive garment of
clerics, and then only when its place was usurped
by the more convenient short coat. Prior to this,
it was the raiment of all alike, clergy, laity, male
and female.
Because it was intended for warmth it was
lined with furs. This custom was retained long
after its adoption as a clerical garment. The fur
was ermine for dignitaries and sheep-skin for
priests.
CASSOCK
Supplementary Vestments
509
The color of the Pope's cassock is white; cardi-
nals' red and violet; of bishops, violet and black,
red-trimmed; of prelates, same as bishops; of
secular priests, black; of doctors in theology and
canon law, scarlet; of Camaldolese, Cistercians,
Carthusians and Dominicans, white; of Sylves-
trians, dark blue; of Jeromite, gray; of Minor
Conventuals and Minor Observants, ash colored;
of Franciscans, brown.
When a monk is elevated to a prelacy or cardi-
nalate he still retains in his cassock the color of
his religious habit.
The peculiar wings of some students' cassocks
on the continent are interpreted as the leading
strings whereby tutors kept their pupils under
control, a fashion once in vogue in Rome.
Surplice.
From its fur lin-
ing the cassock was
called in medieval
Latin the pellicia;
the name super-
pellicia (over the
fur) was according- k ; ?
ly given to the gar-
ment worn imme-
diately over it — a
name which has
passed into "sur-
plice."
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Supplementary Vestments 511
In the transitional period, from the fourth to
the eighth century, the alb was a very large vest-
ment. Its generous size made the donning of the
other Mass vestments a difficult operation, and for
this reason its proportions were curtailed to meet
the requirements of the new vestments being
adopted. The modistes went to the other ex-
treme and produced a vestment which was
threatened with ruin whenever forced on an ex-
pansive fur-lined cassock. For this reason a new
garment was invented, which retained the ampli-
tude of the old alb without its impeding length,
and was worn only when no vestment of im-
portance (except the Cope, which was adaptable)
was put over it. This was the surplice. Since
its adoption it has varied much less than other
vestments in form. It was and is a full vestment
of white linen entire, or linen trimmed with lace,
or lace throughout, extending to the knee, and
less, furnished with full sleeves, sometimes long
and again short. The medieval surplice had
often the neck -band embroidered in colored
threads.
Cope.
Called also cavpa and pluviale (rain coat). It
is an expansive vestment of silk or other rich
fabric reaching nearly to the feet, open in front,
fastened with a brooch or morse, and with a small
triangular or semicircular cape at the back, the
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Supplementary Vestments
513
COPE (FRONT)
survival of its primitive hood. It is used by-
chanters at Vespers and by the celebrant in pro-
cessions, benedictions, etc., but never in the cele-
bration of Mass according to the Latin rite. Its
acceptance as a vestment dates back to the ninth
century. Before that time it was only an overcoat
for the clergy in cold or draughty churches, or in
open-air processions, which necessitated its fur-
nishment with a hood. This hood having become
514
The Mass and Vestments
COPE 1BACK)
superfluous when the almuce dislodged it as a
special head-gear, it degenerated like so many
other parts of vestments into a mere ornamental
appendage and became an embroidered flap.
DIACONAL.
Dalmatic.
It is so called from Dalmatia, the origin of the
ancient garment. It is a vestment open on each
Supplementary Vestments
515
DALMATIC (FRONT)
FOR DEACON AND SUB-DEACON
side, with wide sleeves and marked with two
stripes. It is worn by deacons and sub-deacons
at High Mass, processions and benedictions, and by
bishops under the chasuble when they pontificate
at Mass. The color should conform to that of the
chasuble worn by the celebrant.
As a garment of daily use it was adopted in
516
The Mass and Vestments
DALMATIC (BACK)
Rome at the end of the second century. It was
then of linen or wool, richly decorated, allied to a
variety of ungirdled tunic, worn by men to the
knees, and by women to the ankles. The tunic
was visible below it, and on the neck and arms, so
that both garments are readily recognized in
pictorial representations.
The earliest monuments which picture the dal-
matic as the dress of deacons are the mosaics of
Supplementary Vestments 517
Ravenna in the middle of the sixth century, and
their diaconal appropriation was indisputable be-
fore that date.
The Liber Pontificalis ascribes to Pope St. Syl-
vester the regulation that deacons should wear
the dalmatic in the church. In the life of St.
Caesarius of Aries it is related that Pope Sym-
machus (498-509) gave his deacons the privilege
of wearing the dalmatic, as was the custom in the
Roman church. This proves, with the reinforce-
ment of the monuments, that by the sixth century
the vestment was generally adopted.
SUB-DIACONAL.
Tunic.
It is also called Tunicella. This is simply a
small variety of the dalmatic appropriated to the
use of sub-deacons and bishops. Gavantus says,
it is like the dalma-
tic, only a trifle
smaller. This dis-
tinction is now
rarely if ever ob-
served and the two
vestments are of
the same pattern
as to size and orna- bishop s tunicl
mentation. It is worn by bishops when pontificat-
ing, under the dalmatic.
It appears about 820 as a sub-deacon's vest-
518 The Mass and Vestment?
ment, and later as a bishop's garment. In the
ninth century bishops appear with but one
vestment, the alb under the chasuble; between the
ninth and eleventh centuries the dalmatic makes
its appearance, and it is not till about 1200 that
we find the tunicle illustrated in paintings and
effigies of bishops.
In classic times the tunic was the indoor gar-
ment of the Roman, of woolen or linen texture,
always pure white, except in Egypt, and the
literary references prove that this linen tunic
was adopted in the ministrations of the Church,
at least, by the fourth century.
APPENDIX
Appendix 523
vide p. 24.
"There is no Church without a Liturgy, nor
indeed, can there be conveniently, as there is no
school without a grammar."
"To know what was generally believed in all
ages, the way is to consult the Liturgies, not any
private man's writing."
Table-talk of John Selden,
Linguist, Jurist, Statesman,
p. 68, Edition of 1689.
vide pp. 34, 62, 66, 146.
As a sample of the difficulty of gathering cor-
rect information on Oriental customs we may
mention the days on which the Greeks celebrate
according to the triple Liturgy in vogue among
them. King's "Rites of the Greek Church," pp.
131-134, and Richard and Giraud's "Bibliotheque
Sacree" XV, pp. 222-224, give the following classi-
fication:
Liturgy of St. Basil:
Eve of Christmas.
Feast of St. Basil, January 1.
Eve of Epiphany, or Feast of Lights.
Five Sundays of Lent.
March 25. Feast of Annunciation.
Good Friday.
Holy Saturday.
524 Appendix
Liturgy of the Presanctifled:
W ednesdays and Fridays in Lent.
Liturgy of St. Chrysostom:
On all other days.
C. E. Hammond's "Liturgy Eastern and West-
ern," pp. 26-29, gives the following summary:
Liturgy of St. Basil:
Eve of Christmas.
Feast of St. Basil.
Eve of Epiphany.
Five Lenten Sundays.
Holy Thursday.
Holy Saturday.
Liturgy of the Presanctifled:
Sundays and Saturdays of Lent.
March 25.
Liturgy of St. Chrysostom:
On all other days.
The most casual reader will recognize the in-
accuracies and contradictions of these two lists.
The correct sequence of these puzzling Liturgies
seems to be:
Liturgy of St. Basil:
Eve of Christmas.
Feast of St. Basil.
Eve of Epiphany.
Five Sundays of Lent.
Holy Thursday.
Holy Saturday.
Appendix 525
Liturgy of the Presanctined:
Week days in Lent, except Saturdays.
Liturgy of St. Chrysostom:
Palm Sunday.
Saturdays of Lent.
March 25.
All other days not pre-empted by the
Liturgies of St. Basil and the Pre-
sanctined.
A Mass of the Presanctined is a Mass where the
Host consumed has been consecrated in a prior
Mass, because it has no Consecration of its own.
The orthodox Greek priest does not celebrate
every day— only on Sundays and feastdays.
Uniats imitate the Latin custom. Celebrant and
altar must be fasting— i. e. altar must not have
been used by another on the same day. There-
fore, only one Liturgy or Mass is permissible in a
Greek orthodox church on any day. The Pre-
sanctined is usually celebrated on the Wednesdays
and Fridays in the first six weeks of Lent and in
Holy Week, except Maundy Thursday and Holy
Saturday, when the Basilian Liturgy is followed.
On other days when there is no liturgical service
extra loaves are consecrated the Sunday preceding.
These are dipped in the consecrated wine of the
chalice with a spoon, deposited in another chalice
and reserved in the tabernacle for Communion.
The days devoid of service are called aliturgical.
The statement that it is not found in the dictionary
526 Appendix
is incorrect. In the Church of the Latin rite Good
Friday is an aliturgical, and strictly speaking, so
is Holy Saturday, as its Mass is of Easter eve and
in primitive days was only said after midnight at
the close of Lent and the Easter vigil.
Very probably in the early Church there were
many such aliturgicals as in the Greek Church of
to-day. Mass was offered only on Sundays, on
the few festivals then recognized and perhaps on
the anniversaries of martyrs, the bishop officiating
as chief celebrant and the priests co-celebrating
with him.
vide pp. 109-110.
The essence of the Sacrifice of the Mass.
The Mass being a sacrifice according to the
teaching of the Church comprises many elements,
each of which conveys an idea of sacrifice. The
chief of these attributes are Consecration, obla-
tion and Communion. This conjunction and
variety of parts accounts for the diversity of
theological opinions in determining the real essence
of the sacrifice. The Mass being a composite
function admits a distinction of parts. Some are
essential and others are integrant or integral
contributing to the wholeness or entirety of the
sacrifice. To ascertain the essential it is impera-
tive to sift it from the merely integral.
Appendix 527
Hence there are two questions:
(a) In what action of the Mass does the
essential element of sacrifice repose?
(6) How is this essential element of sacrifice
verified?
The answer to the first question is triple.
(1) The answer of the Thomists (John a S.
Thoma, Dis. p. 32, a. 1). They taught that the
essence of the Eucharistic sacrifice is to be sought
in those actions of the celebrant which follow
Consecration, viz: The oblation made in these
words of the Canon, "unde et memores Domine
* * * off'erimus praeclarae Majestati tuae * * *
Hostiam puram etc," and the breaking of the
Host with its mixture with the Blood in the
chalice, etc.
(2) Cardinal Bellarmine (De Missa, 1. 1. c. 27)
insists that the essence of the sacrifice lies in the
Consecration of the sacred species of bread and
wine and in the Communion of the priest. De
Lugo (Disp. 19, Sect. 5, n. 68) gives a qualified
approval in these words: "The Consecration car-
ries with it the full equivalent for the destruction
of the victim, and the Communion pertains to the
substance and integrity of the sacrifice, because
thereby the victim is more completely consumed
and destroyed."
(3) Other theologians teach that the separate
Consecration of both species, without any other
528 Appendix
adjunct supplies the sufficient essence of the Mass.
The Communion of the sacrificant is held to be an
extrinsic sacrificial action completing the sacrifice
and hence, integral but not essential, for the reason
that the Mass presents the victim under the species
in the form of food and drink and, therefore, pre-
supposes Communion to complete it.
To the second question there are six answers.
Whilst it is true that there is practical unanimity
among theologians in accepting the Consecration
as embodying the essence of the Mass, there is a
variety of explanations of this fact. There are
those who:
(1) Teach that the Consecration is synonomous
with the Mass-essence, because in it and by it the
substance of the bread and wine is destroyed.
(2) Suarez (Disp. 75, Sect. 5) accepts the same,
not only because there is a destruction of sub-
stance, but also because by that destruction Christ's
Eucharistic presence enters in and begins to exist
under the visible forms of bread and wine.
(3) Cardinal De Lugo's solution recognizes
transformation more than destruction as the
central idea in Consecration, because by it Christ
is reduced to a condition of food and drink, which
is an unspeakably lower state bordering on death
and exinanition. This is also the opinion of
Cardinal Franzelin (L. c. Th. XVI) .
(4) Vasquez recognizes Consecration as the
Appendix 529
essence of the sacrifice, because it is a representa-
tion and commemoration of the sacrifice of Christ
on the Cross.
(5) Lessius (De Perfect. Divin. 1. 12. c. 13, n.
97), Gonet (Manuale, torn. 6, tract 4, c. 12, § 2.)
and others see in Consecration a mystic slaying
by separation of the Bod) from the Blood which
is akin to real death and averted only by accident.
(6) P. Billot (L. c. th. LIV) reflects the popu-
lar and truest opinion when Consecration conveys
to him the mystic destruction of Christ the victim
under another form, or the sacramental separation
of the Body from the Blood in such manner that
Christ under the species of the Eucharist appears
in the external attitude of death and destruction,
and thus exhibits that symbolic representation of
a real sacrifice where the victim is really destroyed
in its own individual form or species.
On page 131 is recorded a compendium of the
usages and privileges of the Maronite Church, ac-
cording to the available authorities. Having a
suspicion of its inaccuracy recourse was had to a
Maronite priest for more accurate information,
and by his direction the following corrections are
made: Communion is given only under one
species, that of bread; incense may be used at
Low or High Mass— in Syria at both services, but
530 Appendix
in foreign missions it is generally absent from Low
Mass; special services and the more solemn part
of the Mass are only in Syriac, whilst many missal
pages are divided between Syriac and Arabic in
parallel columns. Many collects are read or
chanted only in Arabic, and the gospel may be
similarly dealt with, usually, however, in Arabic.
Only the Greek bishops are elected by popular
ballot. Among the Maronites there are no bishops
— only archbishops. On the death of a Patriarch
these archbishops convene in a retreat of six days,
after which they vote for the new Patriarch,
whose name is sent to Rome for confirmation.
If they fail to nominate, the Pope selects. Instead
of altars, the Maronites may use wooden slabs,
because of the capriciousness of Mahometan
fanaticism, but for fifty years or more the por-
table altar, linens, etc., akin to the Roman rite are
also in use.
The following statistics of the Maronite Church
may be interesting: Patriarch 1, archbishops 12,
priests 1400, laity 800,000.
vide p. 245 (c)
Ferdinand Tetamus in his Diarium Liturgico —
Theologico — Morale, Rome, 1894, p. 33, quotes
Rodriguez (Sum. 1, par. c. 247, n. 6) affirming
the extension of this privilege of three Masses on
Appendix 531
All Souls to non-resident priests with this restric-
tion, that all Masses in excess of one must be
offered for All Souls.
vide p. 323,
As the statement of the ministering of the Holy
Eucharist to the dead may be questioned, as it has
been denied, the reader is referred to Bishop
Gabriel Albaspini (De Veteribus Eccles. Ritibus,
Paris, 1623, f. 65) and John Baptist Casalius
Roman (De Sacris Christianorum Ritibus, Frank-
furt, 1681, f. 131) for its corroboration. In
primitive times Catechumens, dying suddenly be-
fore Baptism, were baptized after death, and public
Penitents dying before reconciliation were ab-
solved and given Communion when dead. The
reason given for the uncanny ceremony was
that the dead might not remain disjoined from
the communion of the faithful. These authors
ascribe the practice to simplicity and superstition
never endorsed by the Church. Councils of Carth-
age and Auxerre forbade it and the second of
Aries authorized a bond of union to be re-estab-
lished not by Communion after death but by the
material oblation made at the offertory of the
Mass by the relatives for that special intention.
INDEX.
Abyssinians, rite of, 36.
Adrien II, 132.
Agiasmos, 46.
Alb, what other names, 439;
origin, 440; shape and use, 441;
clavus, 443; ornamentation,
material, 445; significancy, 446.
Albeit Magnus, 118
Alexander II. 230.
Alexander VII, 182.
Alleluia, 295.
Alms or stipends for Masses,
origin, reasons for, 210-211;
names for, 211; opposition to,
212; present status and reasons
for, 212; alms and simony, 213;
Council of Trent prohibits, 215;
alms and rich priest, 215;
concelebration, 215; who fixes
stipend, 216; what factors, 216;
uniformity of, 217; average
stipend in U. S., 217; obliga-
tion of 218-229; how disposed,
220-226; for one Mass only,
230; where this originated, 230-
231; exceptions to, 231.
Almuce, what, 435.
Altar, what, material of, 307;
significancy, 308; requisites of,
309; various kinds, 309-310;
portable 310; how forfeit conse-
cration, 312; dimensions of, 312;
sepulchre of, 313; where
sepulchre, 313; relics and incense
of, 314-315; oriental altars,
316; canopies of, 319; papal,
317; privileged, 333; time limit,
334; origin of privilege, 335;
fixed altar and privilege, 336;
personal privilege, 342; Gre-
gorian, 343; altar cloths, 345;
significancy of, 346.
Ambrose, St., 63, 116, 123, 315.
Ambrosian Liturgy, 37; what, 38;
general features, 38; use in
Milan, 39, 63.
Ambrey, 324.
Amen, 295.
Amice, what, other names, use of ,
432; mystical meaning, 434;
when a vestment, 435.
Anagnosis, 46.
Antependium, 347.
Anthologion, 46.
Antiphonary, 46, 79, 399.
Apocalypse, 72.
Ara coeli, 307.
Aramaic, 127.
Architecture, ecclesiastical, 25, 53.
Armenian rite, what peculiar to
it, its source, 35.
Armenian language, where, 133.
Augustine, St., 24, 116, 315.
Baptistery, 46.
Basil, St.. rite of, 36, 62, 130,
appendix.
Basilica, what, 55.
Bell why rung and silent, 385.
Bellarmine, Cardinal, 117, 119,
335.
Bellord, Bishop, 89.
Benedict XIV, 44, 45, 132, 216,
231, 245.
Benedictionary, 46.
Biretta, 506,
Bona, Cardinal, 69, 187.
Borromeo,'St., 312.
Bouvier, 230.
534
Index
Bread, how prepared, 205; leaven-
ed or unleavened, 206, 411,
416.
Breviary, what, 42; an Epitome,
parts of, by whom published, 43.
Bulgarian language, 135.
Burse, 384.
Cajetan, Cardinal, 121.
Calvin, John, 117.
Candles, why used, 406; material,
407; exceptions, 408; how many
for Mass, 410; Consecration
candle, 411.
Canon, 298.
Canopy of altar, 317, 330.
Cappa Magna, 503.
Cardinals, red hat and biretta,
486.
Cards, altar, 404.
Cassock, 508.
Catacombs, what, 51, 52.
Catechumens, how divided, 76.
Cathedral, what, how divided, 56.
Celestine, Pope, 24.
Celsus, 72.
Celtic Liturgy, 37; what, 40.
Cemeteries, 48; what, 60.
Ceremonial of bishops, what, by
whom published, 45.
Ceremony, what, 26.
Cere-cloth, 349.
Chalcedon, Council of, 133.
Chaldaic language, 131.
Chalice, what, material, 352-3;
various kinds, 354; material of,
356; exceptions, 356; reasons
for exceptions, 357; how di-
vided, 357; parts of, 359; ac-
companiments, 360; consecra-
tion of, 362; how lose consecra-
tion, 364; who may touch, 364.
Chapel, what, 58.
Charlemagne, 39.
Chasuble of St. Peter, 69; chasu-
ble, what, names for, 464;
material, origin, 466; first men-
tion of, 471; when form changed,
472; Gothic chasuble, 475; why
folded in Lent, 476; significancy
of, 478.
Chrysostom Liturgy, 34, 130, ap-
pendix.
Chrysostom, St.. 116.
Church, derivation, 48; construc-
tion 49; when dedicated, 50;
architecture, 53; part of, 54;
Church, collegiate, parish,
simple, 57.
Ciborium, 368; accompaniments
of, 369.
Cincture, 436-438.
Clement VIII, 43, 45,82.
Clement X, 44.
Clement, St., 61, 71.
Clementine Liturgy, 70, 76
Cloths of altar, 345.
Cochlear (spoon) 360.
Collect, 293.
Comb (pecten) 361.
Communion, how received, 302-
304; and of both species, 355;
exceptions, 356.
Confiteor, 291.
Constantine, 78.
Constantinople, Liturgy of, 7S
Constitution, apostolic, 70, 76.
Cope, 511.
Coptic rite, what, 35.
Copts, name, religion, liturgy,
133. 134
Corporal, 378; characteristics, 378.
Creed, 296.
Cross, sign of, 290.
Cross, pectoral, 496.
Index
535
Crozier, origin, when introduced,
material, name, 497, 500.
Crucifix, use of, 389; exceptions,
389; size of, 390; where placed,
390; history of, 391; decrees
pertaining to, 394.
Cruets, 384.
Crypts, 48; what, 59.
Custodia, 373.
Cyprian, St., 323.
Cyril, St , 35, 62, 116.
D'Agreda. Mary Venerable, 126.
Dalmatic, 514.
Damasus, St. , 70.
Dawn, meaning of, 251; when
appear, is it uniform, 251.
DeLugo. 103, 110, 119, 159, 164,
166, 172, 182, 183, 184, 186,
189, 190, 192, 194, 196, 197,
200 202.
Diaconicon, 46.
Dicastillo, 160, 184, 196.
Disciplina arcani, 75, 124.
Discipline penitential, 76.
Diurnal of Popes, 46.
Diurnal, 46.
Duchesne, 63.
Eck. 127.
Electricity, when legitimate, 409.
Ephesus, Council of, 132.
Epistolary. 46.
Ethiopic language, 134.
Eucharistic, sacrifice, 92.
Eucharist, how many parts and
essentials, 205; how kept in
tabernacle, 321, 324-328.
Eucologion, 46.
Eulogies or sacrifices, who made
them, 207; how made, 208;
when cease, 209.
Eutyches, 133.
Evangelary, 46, 79, 399.
Excommunicants, how classified
as to Mass fruits, 201.
Fan (flabellum) 361.
Fanone, 484.
Feet, covering, 289.
Felix, Pope, 29.
Fistula (reed) 360.
Franzelin, Cardinal, 103, 110,
182.
Gallican Liturgy, 37; what, 39;
how differ from Rome, how
cease, 39.
Gas, when and where legitimate,
409.
Geez, language, 36.
Gelasian sacramentary, 65.
Gelasius, Pope, 70, 250.
Genevieve, St., 69.
Genicot, 309.
Gloria in Excelsis, 293.
Gloves, 501.
Gnostics, 72.
Gong, 386.
Gospel, 296; of St. John, 305.
Gousset, 230.
Graduale, 46, 295.
Grail, holy, 352.
Greek language, 127-129
Gregory, St., rite of, 36.
Gregory XIII, 44, 214, 335.
Gregory. Nazianzen, 69.
Gregory, Great, 81, 61, 65, 70,
77, 81, 116, 335, 343.
Gregorian altar, 343.
Gremial, 500.
HisPANO-Gallican Liturgy, 78.
536
Index
Holocaust sacrifice, 92.
Holy Communion, how received,
302-304
Host, elevation, breaking. 300;
reservation of, 375; among
Orientals, 377
Ignatius, Martyr, 116.
Impetratory sacrifice 92.
Incense, symbolism of, 387.
Indulgence and privileged altar,
337; plenary, what. 338; whence
derived, 339; can it remit sin,
339; conditions for. 340; uncer-
tainty of application, 341; how
applied, 342; why suffrage. 342.
Innocent IV., 132.
Introit, 292.
Irenaeus, St., 72.
Ite, missa est, 304.
Jacobites, who, 133
James. St., Liturgy of, 36, 131.
Jerome, St., 69.
John VIII, 132.
Julius II, 335.
Justin, St., 72, 75.
Kyrie Eleison, 292.
Lacroix, Mass intention, 199
Latin, elements of, why used, 32,
137; where used, 129.
Layman, theologian, 180.
Lebanon, Mount, Council of, 216.
Le Brun, 70, 72.
Lection ary. 79, 399.
Legendary, 46.
Leo, St., 61, 70
Leo XIII, 24, 41, 83, 132. 231.
Leonian sacramentary, what, 37.
Liturgicon, 46.
Liturgy — Meaning and derivation,
21; advantages, 23; how it
affects individuals, society,
theology, arts, 23,24; its origin.
25; how differ from Judaism, 26;
what derived from pagans, 26;
Church controls, 28; Papal con-
trol, 29; Liturgy and bishops,
30; language of. 31; different
kinds. 34-41; Liturgic books,
42; Liturgic places, 48; of the
Mass, 61, 65; Greek St. James,
62; St. Mark, 62, 78, 125.
Lunette, 372.
Malabar liturgy, 62.
Maniple, what, name of. origin,
447; use of, how worn, 449;
development of. 450; in Orient-
al church, 452; significancy,
452.
Maronites, 231, appendix
Martyrology, what, by whom pub-
lished, and when read, 44.
Mary, Queen of Scots, 323.
Mass, first Mass, 69; type of, 72;
author of 94; what, how Trent
defines, 95; identity with Cal-
vary, 96; how differ, 98; how
death on Cross is represented by
Consecration 98-99; is it only
representative, 101-104; who
the high priest, 105; end of,
107; to whom offered, 108;
memorable qualities, 108; is it
a sacrifice, 109; wherein essence,
109; moot points of, 110; Old
and New Testament prove Mass
to be a sacrifice, 111-115; the
liturgies also, 115; tradition of.
115; names of, 123; origin of
name, 124; what name among
Greeks, 125; when and by whom
first Mass, 125-126; its language,
127; its various names, 138-152;
Requiem Masses when said, 147-
Index
537
151; indulgences of first Mass
of priest, 152; postures at, 152-
154; efficacy and fruits of, 156-
204; fruit ex opere operands et
ex opere operato, 169; its infi-
nite efficacy, 170; measure of its
efficacy, 175-184; its infallibility
181-192; its application an
quality, 193-204; Missae Novae,
224; where may be celebrated,
232; where offered before Trent
234; where now. 235; Mass on
shipboard, 237; in Mortuary
Chapel, 237; how ofte i daily,
239; origin of frequent celebra-
tion, 238; its restraint, 240;
present law, 241; when two
Masses, 241; distance and num-
ber required, 242; how regu-
lated in United States, 242; ex-
ceptions to the general law, 244;
when Mass offered, day, 247;
Mass, when in Milan and in
East, 248; what hour in ancient
church, 249; what hour now,
250; is there margin, 252; what
hour in Polar regions, 252; ex-
ceptions as to hour, 253-258;
Mass, structure of. 259-287;
Mass, fast and exceptions, 288-
289; requisites for, 306; how
Pope celebrates, 318, 484.
Melchior Canus, 12.
Melchite Catholics, 129-131.
Memorial of rites, 45.
Menaehon, 47.
Menologe, 47.
Missal, what, by whom published,
42, 81, 82-84, 398; author of,
399; beginning of , 299; varieties
of, 401; why varieties, 401;
further observations, 403
Mitre, origin, when introduced,
transformation, how classified,
492-495.
Monophysites, 133.
Mortuary Chapel, Mass in, 237.
Mostarab, verb, 64.
Mozarabic Liturgy, 37; what, 39;
origin and present status, 40,
63, 64.
Mozzetta, 503.
Nestorius, 132.
octavary, 46.
Offertory, 297.
Oil, 331, 411.
Orarium, 459-460.
Oratory, what, how divided, 58;
privileges, 59.
Ordines Romani, 37, 46, 80.
Origen, 72.
Osculatory, 386.
Ostensorium, 371.
Pall, 380-381.
Pallium, early history, what, when
blest, 487-491.
Palmer, Sir William, 63.
Paroissien, 46.
Paschal I, 335.
Passional, 46.
Paten, what, 365; size, why held
by sub-deacon, 366; material
of, 367; when lose consecration
367.
Paul V, 44.
Pax, the, 301.
Pelagians, 24.
Penitential canons, 46.
Penitents, public, 76, 124.
Pentecostarion, 47.
Pepin, King, 39.
Perrone, S. J.. 100.
Pius V, 43, 81, 83, 305, 400.
Pius IX, 41, 231.
Pius X, 237.
538
Index
Pius IV, 400.
Pontifical, what, by whom pub-
lished, 45.
Portable Altar, privilege of 237;
who have it, 238; Regulars and
portable altar, 238.
Preface, 298.
Presanctified Liturgy, 34, 130 and
appendix.
Privileged Altar, 331
Probst, 70.
Processional, 46.
Propitiatory, 92.
Psalter, 46.
Purificator, 381-383.
Pyx, 370.
Rabanus Maurus, 426.
Renaudot, 68.
Ribbons, missal, 398
Ring, 501.
Rite, what, 27.
Ritual, what, by whom published.
44.
Rochet, 502.
Roll of Ravenna, 37.
Roman Liturgy, what, usage,
documents of, 37.
Rubrics, meaning, derivation,
where found, 27; how divided,
28, 61; derivation, 398.
Rumanian Language, 135.
Ruthenian Language, 135.
Sacramentary, Leonian, Gre-
gorian, Gelasian, 37, 65, 399.
Sacred Congregation of rites, 30.
Sacrifice, what, derivation, 85
notes of, origin, 86; significa
tions of, 87; how offered, 88
what impulses behind, why
shed blood, 90; ends of, 91
how many kinds, 92; why fire,
92.
Sacristies, 48, 60.
Salamanca, 64, 78.
Salamanca, Theologians of. 174.
Salvador, St., chapel of, 64.
Sanctuary Lamp, 331; decrees for,
379; oil for, 376, 411.
Sandals, 504.
Schanz. Paul, Dr., 89.
Sepulchre of Altar, 79; what,
where, 313.
Sixtus, Pope, 29, 44.
Slavonic Language, where, 132.
Stations, what, 56, 421.
Strabo. Walafridus, 427.
Stephen II, 39.
Stockings, 504.
Stole, what, how worn, 453; why
worn, 454; how derived, 455;
its primitive use, 456; its social
origin, 459; decrees pertaining
to, 461; in Oriental Church,
462; symbolic meaning, 463.
Strainer (colum) 361.
Suarez, 173, 175, 176, 177, 187,
190, 202
Subcingulum, what, 437.
Surplice, 509.
Sylvester, Pope, 29, 308.
Syriac rite, 34; groups of, 35.
Syro-Chaldaic, 127.
Tabernacle, name, object of,
320; position; material, form,
328; decorations, blessing, 330.
Tabernacle lamp, 331.
Tertullian, 72.
Thabor, 332.
Thalamus, 324.
Thomassin, 116.
Thomas Aquinas, St., 118, 169,
180, 184, 192, 197, 250, 309.
Thurible, 387.
Index
539
Tiara, when first used and mean-
ing of, 485.
Time, how computed, 252.
Toledo, cathedral, 64, 78.
Towel, (finger) 384.
Tract. 295.
Trent, Council of, 81, 95, 101,
167, 250, 400.
Tunic, 517.
Typicon, 46.
Ubbi.es or Hosts, what. 208;
when cease, 209.
Urban VIII, 42, 43, 44.
Vasquez, Gabriel, S.J., 100, 10.',
109, 179, 184, 194, 198.
Vaughan, Cardinal, 100.
Veil, 384.
Verona Manuscript, 38.
Vesting, 290.
Vesperal, 350.
Vestments, study of, two methods,
424; development, 427; in-
formation on, 428-431; color of,
479; supplementary colors, 480;
meaning of, 481; when used,
482; supplementary vestments,
483.
Victor I, Pope, 29.
Washing of hands, 289.
Water mixed with wine, 420.
Wine, how prepared, 205; how
much alcohol, 206, 417, 419;
licit and illicit wine, 416.
Worship, meaning, public, pri-
vate, 21; motives of, 22; private
insufficient, 23.
Ximenhs, Cardinal, 64, 78.
Zucchetto, 495.
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